What is it about comfort food that really appeals to us? We just love the whole idea of it. It appeals to our sentiments and makes us soft and nostalgic.
Sometimes it reminds us of home. Sometimes it makes us feel like a child again. And sometimes it makes us feel better on a bad day. The thing is, humans build powerful relationships between sights, smells, sounds, textures… and memories. We build mental relationships, connecting things that we relate in ways that are meaningful to us.
That scent of aam panna that takes us back to summery childhood days. We can actually scrunch up our eyes, taste it so vividly; a melange of flavours that reminds us of leafy verandas and vacation time.
Or maybe a warm bowl of mac and cheese. A simple meal, but it is one that sends our senses into overdrive. The gooey yellow cheese, the perfectly baked macaroni, the simple homely flavours! Just writing about it reminds me of the hearty meal that makes you feel so happy and warm, and cheers you up a little bit.
A warm meal on a cold night, curled up in a cozy sweater with a favourite book – can you think of anything nicer than that?
Or a bowl of piping hot sambar? Not as a accompaniment, but just that. You can just drink up a bowl or two; and when you’re sniffling from cold, the sambar makes it disappear right away. With its potent combination of herbs, spices, and hot peppercorns; this is something that warms up not just your body, but your soul as well.
Or maybe mom-made rajma chawal. Isn’t that the best? Immediate hunger pang relief. You know you’ve searched for the best rajma everywhere, but nothing is as good as the secret recipe that your granny passed on to you. It’s a combination of spices and love, and nothing can beat that.
Talking about home food, how about pickle? Imagine you are in a new city, adjusting to the life and pace and food and habits. You come back to the lonely rented flat you call home now. Open up a cupboard in the kitchen that has a jar of pickle and nothing else. Mom lovingly packed up a couple of jars for you to take. You open the jar, scoop out some pickle, eat it with some leftover roti, and somehow, surprisingly, you are strangely content. It feels like home, or mom’s warm hug. You go to sleep happy.
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