Pause for a moment and imagine eating your favorite meal. What is that meal?
Is it roast chicken with potatoes and green beans? How about homemade mac 'n cheese? Could your favorite be spaghetti and meatballs? Does your Mom's fried shrimp or your Grandfathers stuffed crab come to mind? Maybe it's your Grandma's creamy southern-style mustard potato salad with her famous BBQ ribs that makes your mouth start to water just thinking about it.
Well mine is my Grammy's pot roast, rice and gravy, smothered okra, tomatoes from the garden and ice cream for dessert. I know I have cooked the meal just perfectly when I smell her kitchen in mine. There is something about those final moments just before dinner is ready when the aroma of the rice that creates a specific perfume in the air. I am instantly happy and comforted. I am ready to relive beloved memories and create new ones with my loved ones.
The proverbial "they" say that of all of our five senses, our olfactory sense (or sense of smell) has the most memory recognition. In addition, our olfactory cells are the only neurons capable of regeneration. Which is good news for cancer patients who lose their ability to smell. Amazingly enough we each have over 100 million olfactory sensors. The average person can detect over 10,000 individual smells.
With all this in mind, it's no wonder most of us associate a time, place or person with the smell of our favorite meals. We celebrate, comfort and continue traditions with the meals that we share.
So, please share...what's your favorite meal and what or whom does it remind you of?
No comments:
Post a Comment