Did you know the best way to change someone’s mood or behaviour is through smell? The association of smell and emotion is not a new concept to us. How many times has the smell of something cooking led to memories of your mother in the kitchen?
According to a study done by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in 2010, they found baked goods to be the number one smell that made people remember their childhood . That would be, (in most cases) mom’s baking. As children, baked goods are always a treat –hence our good memories associated with mom’s baking rather than with broccoli for instance.
I did a quick poll with the rest of the Be Well team, Ellen and Jenn, only to find their favoured memories of childhood revolve around two classic types of baked goods.
For Jenn, the smell of Chocolate Chip Cookies immediately brings her back to childhood.
Ellen shares that for her, her grandmother’s Chocolate Cake brings back comforting memories from the smell alone. In a recent post, Ellen talked about what a pleasure it is to watch mothers or grandmothers make their dishes just right by simply knowing the taste, touch and smell of the ingredients together.
As for me, the taste and ingredients of Marzipan Donuts have the memory-triggering-smell effect on me. The Maria’s Gamesa cookies get crushed and go right into the donut dough. This recipe brings back memories for me because as a child, my mother used to give me these cookies. Coincidentally, she shares the name with the cookie.
Is it a coincidence that when it comes to memories of our mothers and grandmothers, our senses of touch, taste and especially smell are heightened?
This mother’s day, why not pay your mother back for all the wonderful baking-filled memories, and bake a treat for her? Here are a few suggestions perfect for sharing over a cup of tea with your mother, grandmother, mother-in-law or whoever that special woman in your life may be! Perhaps you can also indulge in an at home spa day as Jenn suggest to us in this post.
1. Don’t let the loaf-like appearance of this South African Seed Bread fool you, it’s just sweet enough to classify as a dessert and perfect for sharing.
2. Banana Cobbler is a classic, why not give mom a reason to remember her childhood? We’re sure this banana cobbler will do the trick!
3. The whole wheat flour and berries in these Blueberry Scones increases fibre, making it good for you so it’s ok to have two.
4. Another classic! Make the Sweet Shortbread Crust, then choose one of the three options to fill it with, depending on mom’s tastes.
What smell brings you memories of your mother and childhood? Share it with us in the comments section below.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the deserving mothers out there!
Be Well…Wendy
