On Primodial Taste

My father was posted in the small town of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, when I was born. I was there till I was four years old. Our landlords, who used to live on the ground floor, were extraordinarily kind and indulged me a lot, to the point that I would have my meals at their house. The earliest meals I relished were Gujarati Khichdi and Gujarati dal. I did not like the Punjabi food cooked at my house. Since our landlords were Jains, I also have an aversion to onions. 

I left the city when I was 4½. We moved to Delhi, living closer to my grandparents and surrounded by other Punjabis. Slowly, my link to Gujarat's food was severed. 

It was after nearly 30 years that I had a chance to have Gujarati dal and Khichdi again. It was the usual spell of heavy downpour that Mumbai sees often. The delivery apps had significantly reduced the number of restaurants open for delivery. I ordered from one of the Gujarati restaurants, haven't tasted the cuisine in a long time. 

The moment I took the first bite, primordial memories came back. I felt as if I was transferred back to that time when I was four - sitting cross-legged, waiting for my share of the grub. Our taste buds have their own memory. I felt safe - like a four-year-old in a happy and secure environment feels. 

I think we all crave the security, peace and carefree way of our childhood. In a world of ageing elders and changing dynamics and relations, the only consistency one holds on to is the taste of childhood. It is our way of connecting with innocence. 

Till her last days, my grandmother would brighten if she heard that there was dal makhani ( or ma di dal as it is called in Punjabi homes) with parantha for lunch. My father loved eating sarso da saag. I could never understand their fascination with these dishes. I was never really a fan and could not understand what was so great about them. 

But as I grow old .... I do so now!