Have we ever got a gush of memory when a certain food is presented to us or when our friends tell their childhood story reminding us of a particular moment that helps us travel back to a memory related to a particular food product? I am pretty sure we all have had such an experience quite a few times that brings a small smile as we read ahead.

A few days back during a lecture class our professor asked us to gather around in groups and discuss a memory related to food along with munching on a snack that was brought from home or the canteen. It was really fun as initially we just distributed snacks and started talking about random things that had nothing to do with food. After having the food items collectively we started talking about food that we specially miss even though it is easily available but the taste definitely differs. The spark we find in our eyes while telling a story makes the listener feel the experience through the eyes of the speaker. 

Some of the food names will be new due to the cultural differences but we learn a lot about how they grew up and how those memories bring even us listeners close to home. Some stories were funny, some were sad, and some were traumatic. The sad stories would be associated with the sad reality of how we live far away from our loved ones.

My story goes back to my high school days when the intervals were the only time we ran outside the classroom. We would discuss various topics while sharing our lunch. There are also days when mom packs idli which is emptied before we wash our hands and come back. The other memory is quite common as we often tend to have small bites of lunch as we cannot wait till the intervals due to the aroma of the food. 

The teacher doesn't notice or pretends not to know despite the aroma that spreads around the class is still a mystery to me. One day after lunch we were still hungry and there were five of us who only had ten rupees in hand. We all decide to go to the canteen to find something to eat as the twenty minutes of the interval are almost over. The only food item we find is five pieces of veg momos. We all dig in each getting a piece of momos and dipping in that spicy chutney that brings tears due to the spice. Even after the years that flew away, I couldn't find any momos similar to the taste and feeling. I still remember the taste and the feel as though it was yesterday, the feeling remains so fresh and it still manages to bring a smile to my face unconsciously.

Food has the power to bring back forgotten memories, even though it's just a glimpse it's still there.

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