A Lifetime of Food
- navakallc
- Sep 15, 2024
- 3 min read
Ever since I was a little kid, I was a foodie. At a very young age, my parents introduced me to a variety of foods included in a balanced diet. Every time we visited restaurants, I would always ask for a piece of whatever my mom was eating. I was always curious about food, and that curiosity led me to love it.
A lot of my childhood memories comprise of some type of food, its tantalizing smell wafting through the kitchen. My legs directing me there immediately, I would find myself near the stove, mouth-watering, wondering what delicious concoction was being prepared in the pot. I believe every food has a history, tons of people remembering the dish because of different stories. In my case, I loved the food being prepared for a festival, each festival bringing its own different flavor. During Diwali, the whole family would be lingering in the kitchen, bustling around and waiting for the Chakli (savory Indian snack) to fry, or the kheer (sweet Indian pudding) to bubble on the stovetop. My favorite time was when my grandma was making my favorite dessert, and my 4-year-old self was trying to be her little helper, my little hands clasping around the jar she asked me to bring. Whenever I think of any food, I think of these memories associated with it, which makes the food taste even better.
On a rainy day such as today, my friends and I would gather near the balcony, watching the water splash around in between the cars, smell the freshly turned earth, and take in the greenery around me. We would sit there with piping hot Maggi (Indian Instant noodles) and slurp the soup to our heart’s content. Soon, these memories start making their way into our mind anytime it would rain, or we would eat Maggi. Food was one of the greatest ways I could stay connected to my roots, my culture and my friends after I moved to USA. We still make sure to make Modak (Sweet Indian dumplings) during Ganesh Chaturthi and Chakli during Diwali.
Food also helped us stay connected during the lockdown in 2020, when my relatives, friends and I would send each other photos of all the various food dishes we had so eloquently prepared. We were so proud of our beautiful creations, and it truly brought us joy when we couldn’t go outside and engage in another hobby. I would spend hours in the kitchen worming my way through my mom’s food preparation, sniffing the fragrant smell and cheekily licking the spoon when she wasn’t looking. It gave me a chance to prepare the same dish my grandma used to make for me, when I was her little helper. I was so proud to videocall her and show her my first attempt at a dish we had bonded over every year. The food took its opportunity to freshen some beautiful memories in my mind and make me nostalgic.
One last story before I end this blog is my favorite one so far. My friends have always been a huge part of my life growing up, so when we were 9, we were feeling a lot like adults when we asked for money from our parents and set out on an expedition. There was a cute little shop right outside our neighborhood where we would go and set our eyes on chips, cupcakes, frooti (Mango drink), and our favorite, Chupa chups. We would hoard our shopping back to our favorite stop in the neighborhood and split the food, chat and laugh. It was a core memory from our childhood and soon, it became an exciting little adventure, one we would go on every couple weeks. I remember the last time we went, my last full day in India. Whenever I look at Chupa Chups now, I remember those times, those laughs, and it brings a smile to my face.
This is how food is such a big influence on my life. Everything I eat has a memory wrapped around it, like the petals of a flower cocooning its nectar. Those memories will always ignite in me whenever I see a specific food, and for that I’m grateful. Our mind is buzzing all day, full of the most randomest thought flying through there. Which is why it feels good when we get reminded of a story that makes us smile.
