Our relationship with food is much more than just ingesting nutrients to meet our biological needs. From the moment humans began to share meals in a community, eating became as much a part of biology as it is of civilizational culture.
Food is pleasure, community, family, relationships, connection, and the expression of our individual, spiritual, and cultural identity.
The act of eating goes far beyond biological necessity; it involves meaning, feelings, emotions, and belonging.
Affective memories and food
My childhood memories are filled with smells and flavors. Of the family always gathering at the table, of the Easter cake baked in a wood-fired oven that my maternal grandmother insisted on ordering every year for her godchildren. Of my paternal grandmother's egg pudding
that I still make today in the same mold she gave me. Of my mother, who loved having a house full of friends and who, every month, would take turns cooking a "delicacy" at someone's house.
There are always foods or recipes with a special meaning that bring back such a cherished memory, capable of transporting us to another place. They often bring back memories of someone or a period that marked our lives. Of a good time we remember with fondness.
And it's so good to relive that time full of flavors and aromas, unhurried and full of connection, allowing the kitchen to play the role of building affective memories in our lives!
Cooking as a family
ācooking is a way of loving othersā | Mia Couto
Eating at the table as a family is a great opportunity for connection and relationship building. A shared meal involves customs, traditions, values, and a lot of affection. Cooking is part of caring for oneself and others.
In the rush of daily life, the habit of going into the kitchen to prepare meals was lost. But in recent times, the quarantine ended up bringing back customs that routine no longer allowed, such as these rituals of cooking as a family and eating at the table.
Building affective memories with our children
During the days of quarantine, when we had to reinvent ourselves, I was able to experience moments in the kitchen more intensely, both alone during the various daily lunches and dinners that sometimes seemed endless, and with my children because we had more time to create.
Between remote work, distance learning, and managing household chores and time for activities with the children, the kitchen ended up being the perfect theme for family activities and, at the same time, arranging family meals.
It ended up being a discovery and a learning experience for everyone.
JoĆ£o Maria always loved to eat, to eat well, all kinds of food and flavors, and in the kitchen, we tested several recipes, researched, learned a lot, made mistakes too, but above all, we had fun and created memories that will last a lifetime!
Children's place is also in the kitchen
Cooking with children is a joyful moment for parents and children to have fun together. Family cooking is an exchange experience where the final product is a delicious result made by everyone's hands.
But it's more than that. When we bring children into the kitchen, we are:
- encouraging their autonomy
- helping them build a healthy relationship with food
- breaking down any resistance to vegetables, greens, and fruits
- encouraging experimentation and exploration
- learning from mistakes (or rather, from attempts)
- teaching how to handle food
- understanding food transformation processes
- sharing knowledge and traditions
- fostering financial literacy
- immersively teaching other subjects like mathematics, chemistry, and Portuguese.
A new project that will create memories
This is how Kidchen was born, with the purpose of helping families find the ideal space in the kitchen to create affective memories, transmit knowledge and flavours, and increase connection.
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Because it's truly magical how food can reconnect us with those we love and with ourselves, and be the inspiration for so many other learnings.
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An Invitation
If you believe that food can be much more than just providing nutrients to our bodies, or even if you don't but are curious, I extend an invitation to you. Ā
Join us on this journey and let yourself be transported to the sweetest, most fun, and delicious affective memories of eating.