What's your fragrance of Nostalgia?

Forgotten Aromas

Isn’t it strange how a single scent can take you back in time? You’re not searching for it, it simply finds you. Suddenly, you’re somewhere else, a childhood kitchen, a long forgotten summer, standing beside someone you haven’t seen in years, the faint smell of rain on dry earth or the comforting whiff of an old book. It’s strange how certain smells hold pieces of our past, waiting quietly until the moment they choose to return. What scent unlocks that door for you?

Let me start with mine! 

A polithilin bag with Fresh catch from Bhau cha dhakka, slow roasting of dried coconut on a cast iron tawa and the fragrance of pressure cooked chicken on a Sunday morning. 

On various occasions, my childhood home was filled with the delicious aromas of food, the roasting of ghee for Diwali, the smell of chapati's at lunchtime, deep fried sabudana vadas on Tuesdays, the sizzling of fish fry during dinner and sometimes just a roasted papad as an accompaniment. Humble homes had a unique way of reminding us which day of the week it was. I still remember the distinct aroma from my neighbour’s home, the comforting smell of piping hot sambar wafting through the air. That was the quiet privilege of growing up in a multilingual community, where every household brought its own flavour to the neighbourhood.

Today when I was roasting the Coconut for a fresh batch of Chicken Sukkha, I couldn’t stop but smile! Who would have thought miles away after pursuing hospitality I would choose to make my childhood cuisine as a specialty and serve 1000’s of Calgarians. An absolute privilege! 

Nostalgia, Almost Extinct- The Vanishing Flavours of Childhood

Now a days home aren’t allowed to smell of food, they are replaced by spice kitchens, hooded fans, candles or room fresheners, the exhaust fans are not only  preventing the fragrance of food to travel but also the scent to linger into our memories. I wonder if the next generation will feel the same nostalgia about food which the kids in 90’s felt! 

That said, I am not anti Exhaust Fans, I understand their importance, especially in today’s culturally diverse environments. After all, no one wants to be known as the coworker who always smells like curry.

Regional Comfort

I just wonder if regional food will be global enough that we are actually proud of it or do we hide under the global commercial acceptance of tikka sauces, naan breads and chai tea lattes!

Just for moment close your eyes, think of your fav food, your comfort food, the one where you like to sit in pjs and eat at home, what does it smell like, if the fragrance of the food is already lingering in your mind then you’ve got it! That’s what I mean by the fragrance of nostalgia. 

Hope you’re reading this at a decent hour and I’ve not got you craving your comfort food. 

See you next week!

Madhura 

The moment which inspired me to write this article.

Slow roasted coconut!