By Wade Truong / Elevated Wild

Why does this taste so damn good?

Food has a unique and powerful way of recalling memories. Not just the time and place, but the emotions felt. It's a side effect of taste that we often overlook.

Food tastes better when we are happy. Some foods have the ability to remind us of better times, humor and even tragedy. The association of memory and foods is personal and incredibly powerful. It's the reason food tastes sour when you're in a bad mood. It's the reason I love chicken bouillon-based soups when I feel beat up and worn out. The comfort of my mother, bringing me warmed up condensed soup when I was sick. Condensed soup is objectively not good, but the emotions tied to the smell and taste of that soup aren’t objective, they’re subjective and very real.