The Aroma of Nostalgia!!!

Food That Takes Us Down Memory Lane – Part 2

My love for food seems to grow stronger as I grow older. In our home, everyone, including my little chipmunks , eagerly waits for Sundays. Sundays are special because every meal, from breakfast to dinner, becomes a celebration, mostly prepared by me.

In fact, the excitement begins on Saturday evening itself. My super-duper hi-fi bestie — as my little daughter lovingly calls me,  comes to me innocently and asks, “What special meal are you going to make for me tomorrow?” Her eyes sparkle with excitement the moment I say Chicken Curry or Chicken Biryani , her absolute favorite.

Watching the happiness and anticipation in my children’s eyes for that one special day of the week fills me with nostalgia and takes me back to my own childhood.

The only difference is that, during my childhood, every day felt special.

All thanks to my mother and the delicious meals she lovingly prepared for us every single day. I have never seen anyone cook with as much love and warmth as my mom did. Perhaps that is the reason why food holds such a special place in my heart even today.

I belong to a hardcore non-vegetarian Sindhi family, & was born and brought up in Dhanbad among Biharis and Bengalis. Given that background, it is only natural that fish became one of my favorite foods.

You might wonder where this deep obsession with food comes from. There’s a beautiful reason behind it.

As a child, I was carefree and simple. After school, I spent most of my time with my mother. And since she was always in the kitchen creating magic with her cooking, I naturally found my place there too. Beside our kitchen was a small storeroom, and I would sit at the boundary between the kitchen and the storeroom ,studying while quietly watching my mother cook.

That was my cooking school.

I learned cooking simply by observing her. Though I must admit, I had a very pampered childhood. My parents raised me like a princess, so I hardly ever cooked myself back then. But those moments spent watching my mother in the kitchen became some of the most precious memories of my life.

Life was so simple then. A good meal was enough to make one happy.

Even today, one of my all-time favorite dishes is Bengali-style fish curry, lovingly known as macher jhol. And trust me when I say this: no one makes it better than my mother. It is truly unmatched.

Back then, I never imagined that life would change so much that I would sometimes have to wait years to eat my favorite childhood meal again. But that’s life. And perhaps that is why, whenever I finally taste those familiar flavors, a wave of nostalgia washes over me.

I still remember returning home from school every day, wondering what special dish Mom might have prepared for lunch. Just the thought of a good meal could make me happy.

And honestly, that remains true even today.

So, when I look at my children and see that same spark and excitement in their eyes today, I realize that even now, it is the simplest things in life that bring the greatest happiness.

Although we are far more technologically advanced today, true happiness still lies in the traditional way of living , in home-cooked meals, family conversations, shared laughter, and the warmth of togetherness. In a world racing towards modernity, perhaps the soul still longs for the comfort of simple moments and familiar Flavors.

Because at the end of the day, all it takes is a good meal, loving people, and beautiful memories to make life feel complete.

In the aroma of spices, memories stay,
Carrying childhood along the way.
A mother’s love in every bite,
Turning ordinary moments bright.

The world may change, the years may fly,
Skyscrapers rise and time runs by.
Yet happiness still softly gleams,
In simple food and family dreams.

For hearts don’t seek a life so grand,
Just warmth, love, and a caring hand.
And through every meal, old memories prove
The simplest things are made of love.