In the early 1900s, French author Marcel Prost wrote of culinary time travel, of the intense
joy of being swept back to his childhood when he ate a specific type of cake -- a petite
madeleine soaked in tea.
Our memories of taste are closely linked with the smell of food.
Research suggests our memories triggered by smells are different than our verbal and visual
memories and come from events experienced a younger age.
Memories evoked by smell, or olfactory information, likely come from experiences we had in the
first decade of our life -- think eating and smelling cotton candy.
It’s called the “Proust phenomenon”.
For memories triggered by verbal cues -- like a conversation with a parent -- the original
event most likely happened in the next two decades of our life; anytime after 10 to 30
years old.
In one study, researchers used fMRI to compare which areas of the brain are triggered during
olfactory and visual memory recall.
Researchers found when participants’ memories were triggered by an olfactory cue, like the
perfume their mother wore when they were a child, there was a greater activation in the
hippocampus and amygdala.
The hippocampus is critical for memory and the amygdala plays a role in processing memory
and emotional reactions.
Those personally meaningful odors lead to a greater emotional response.
Emotion and novelty -- you know, the novelty associated with cotton candy or a special
meal like Thanksgiving -- tend to make events more memorable.
We connect food, feelings and family.
And finding food is so important to our survival that we seem to be primed to form memories
about food.
Earlier in the year I told you about one of my favourite studies.
In the late 90s, some psychologists took two patients and fed them lunch.
Ten minutes or so later, the patients were offered lunch again and happily ate lunch
number 2.
Again, 10 minutes later, the patients were offered lunch and just as happily ate their
third meal.
These patients had severe amnesia: they had no recollection of just having a meal, so
they were willing to accept all the “TV dinners” of turkey, peas, potatoes, and
applesauce.
It shows that our memory plays a role in when we eat and how much we consume -- it has to
do with a whole lot more than how much food is in your stomach.
Neuroanthropologist John Allen suggests that we eat with our mind as much as our stomach.
We have a thoughtful and often nostalgic relationship with food.
Many people use candy as a pathway to the past.
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