“The taste, smell, and texture of food can be extraordinarily evocative, bringing back memories not just of eating food itself but also of place and setting.”
- John S. Allen, The Omnivorous Mind
It’s true—all I need to do is taste a slice of my mom’s banana bread and I’m transported back in time to the kitchen I grew up in, right alongside her, learning how to crack the eggs and measure out the vanilla, and w-a-i-t-i-n-g for the beep-beep of the oven timer. Family recipes bind us powerfully to our family culture and heritage.
Food can for sure take us home, and it can take us to other places, too. (This is super handy when travel isn’t possible!) When you bite into a chewy, crispy, pan-fried potsticker it might send you back to lunch with your best friend at some hole-in-the-wall eatery in Boston’s Chinatown three years ago. Or taste a mouthful of briny olive salad and you might find yourself back in the French Quarter where you first sampled New Orleans’ world-famous muffuletta sandwich.
Studies have shown that taste and smell are more strongly linked to memory than our other senses.
And as we look forward to traveling more, food is an obvious placeholder for the places we’ll someday visit. Especially for children—who are inherently curious—food is a gateway to other cultures and locales. Let’s encourage them to cook their way around the world, exploring customs, geography, history, fun facts, and languages along the way. We built our first cookbook, Global Taste Buds, to do just that. It’s filled with recipes, experiences, and activities that are designed to transport kids to other cultures and countries, no passport required!
Like recipes videos and a Free downloadable Passport, so kids can start their global journey!
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