There’s a saying that goes like, “The mind forgets, but the heart remembers.” I believe your taste buds also remember some tastes even if you had tried that food long ago. Food is not just a means of satisfying an appetite; it is also a way to preserve memory, to carry traditions and to give a medium for history to travel through generations. It enables us to connect with our ancestors even though we cannot physically meet them.
In desi households, feeding your family a good meal is often a silent way of saying “I love you.” Because a good meal not only nourishes but also leaves a joyous feeling in our senses. There’s a reason why we find comfort in some foods: because they carry the similar taste of our homes or bring forth a nostalgic feeling.
In immigrant households, food plays a crucial role in staying connected to your roots. In a foreign land, when even your native language gets lost in diaspora, people use food to cling to their identity. To use it as a tool to reiterate that they still belong. They might be chasing the new shores in life, but their roots will never rot. They use their traditional recipes back home to keep their children familiar with their identity and culture. The recipes of grandmothers help recreate a taste of a childhood they left behind, of getting transported to the dining table full of meals and laughter, and of the cosy warmth of a mother’s hand.
In our Pakistani culture, sharing food on festive occasions like Eid gives a chance to reconnect and reconcile. An opportunity to bond outside the realms of busy life. It is a symbol of respect, love and hospitality.
Food could also become a recognition for towns. These local cuisines are excellent for bringing tourism and trade to the country while helping locals to earn a living in a profitable way. Like Mohammadi Nehari House (Mozang, Lahore), Delhi Rabri House (Karachi), and Namak Mandi (Peshawar). These eateries give an insight into different flavours around the country and how those flavours can bring people together. These spaces welcome masses from all the social strata, giving a subtle message that social barriers are man-made. The conflicts and disagreements can be solved over a shared plate of hearty meals. The Langar in Data Darbar and Sehwan Sharif feeds hundreds of families daily, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, resisting a system of inequality based on these prejudices.
Food is also a silent but powerful way of showing resistance. The colonised and war-ravaged countries use it silently to show their protest against the colonisation of their land and cuisine. Their cuisine is their way of preserving their history and inculcating a love for the country in their children. Their food shows their resilience — that their lands can be forcefully taken from them, but their customs and heritage are deeply rooted in their hearts. The Palestinian olives and watermelons have become a symbol of their resistance.
Nowadays, food bloggers and YouTubers are helping to keep track of food, helping to discover hidden gems that were being lost under modernity. They are influencing people to get out and explore different food trails that help us understand the importance of those places, the culture and the rich history. A way to time-travel to the past and take its remnants back to the future.