The belly rules the mind
Not that long ago, I came across a film on Netflix — Flavors of Youth. The movie showcased a collection of stories on city life in China, featuring a lady figuring out her life’s course, the transcendent effects of a single bowl of noodles, and the feelings tied to a first love. That led me to a fascinating realization: food is intrinsically tied to memory. That movie brought back many memories — some good and some bad. But the memories didn’t end there: in an instance, I was taken back to my childhood, where my grandmother would greet me with her famous savory pancakes. Now, that she is gone — I have not put myself through to make one yet.
We all have a fair share of memories akin to food. The flavor, smell, and texture of a food can be particularly reminiscent, bringing up memories of not only eating the food but also of the place and surroundings. Food is apparently an potent catalyst for deeper memories of sensation and sentiments, both of the mind and body. Thus, making my savory pancake memory not all that weird. For example, if one searches for websites that include the words food, vintage, and nostalgia, it is clear that many people consider food as a gateway to the past. But, why is that?
Food, in general, appears to primarily target the memory portion of the brain. The Hippocampus, which is located in each hemisphere of our brain, is a part of the brain that primarily deals with memory. It is essential for forming long-term, coherent memories that can be consciously recalled and linked to our own narratives. The hippocampus is linked to regions of the brain that control emotion and scent. This might explain why emotional memories can be so vivid or why specific aromas can make us recall an event even before we are aware of it.
While emotion and aroma play a significant influence in the intensity of some food memories, the hippocampus has more direct associations to the digestive system. There are many hormone receptors in our hippocampus that regulate our appetite, digestion, and even our eating patterns. Thus making the role of the hippocampus in our food memories even more glorifying.
For every human, a specific dish often holds a special place in their heart. It varies from person to person. While eating that it brings back or replicates a memorable experience. However, such meals are frequently associated with a memorable event or occasion in their lives, such as a family reunion, a visit to a certain location, or a date, and are typically very memory-rich. Emotion and novelty tend to make experiences more vivid, and those that are linked to food in some form may even be more so. Feasting is a tradition practiced by nearly all human communities in which past events or noteworthy occurrences are celebrated with a wide range of food. The tradition most likely began to share excess food among groups of people to avoid waste. However, at the community scale, food availability has developed into a channel for improving memory. Feasts provide not just a lot of food but also a lot of memories. Because of our established psychology, food may be one of the most likely components in the world around which memories are created and concentrated.
