Certain tastes that belong to our childhood linger in our minds forever even though they may seem too insignificant to remember.As I walk down memory lane, one of the first distinct tastes I remember was at the age of nine or ten, in Bangalore. Whenever we children had a ‘windfall’ of a few paise, we would take a long walk to the only shop in the area, to buy the ‘in’ thing at the time, the bubble gum! They were the tastiest gums that hit my palette ever! Another taste which stands out in memory was in Secunderabad. Though not a biscuit person at all , this cookie-like biscuit, home delivered by the local bakery, had a tantalisingly salty cum sweet taste I have never experienced before. Loving memories of my mother is also associated with it. This biscuit being native only to the erstwhile Hyderabad could have been patronised by the Nizams, who knows.
Again, during a spell of boarding life in a Kochi school, some of us, like the proverbial hornbill ‘waiting for the rain’ would always be on the look out for goodies as comfort food. It was during this time I chanced upon a sweet I had not tasted before or after. It looked like the humble peanut brittle but in taste, was fit for kings, or so we thought then. It was made of crushed cashew nuts, sugar, probably cashew powder and other flavourings. The saffron coloured sweet, came in blocks of square segments, tasted so good that with the help of our day scholar friends, we (nuts) made sure of a constant supply of the treat.
These were some of the unforgettable tastes associated with school life, which probably became double delights due to the company, certain associations and ambience.
Closer home, though our mother’s cooking is taken for granted in childhood, the taste of certain curries and foodstuffs remain with us even when we are old. It appears boys show more preference for mother’s cooking than girls. How often have we seen husbands getting steely looks from their better halves for comparing wives’ cooking with their mother’s, in front of guests! It is interesting how we remember these tastes even if they are ordinary everyday items. It is said that unique events are etched in our brain and can be recalled at any time. So the first unique tastes that have impacted our taste buds at an impressionable age will naturally be ever fresh in our minds. As to why mother’s cooking tastes extra special is an open secret. She packs a lot of love in it and since she has an inexhaustible supply of it to last a lifetime, all her dishes taste superb!
Email: kitty.koshy@gmail.com