The first crop of spring asparagus has arrived. Field asparagus, I mean. There’s such a thing as sea asparagus too, and that’ll show up at the market in June, right around my wedding anniversary. Sea asparagus is delicious. The tiny stalks are thinner than a straw and their taste is subtle but unique: a little ocean and a little lettuce. There’s nothing fishy about sea asparagus, nothing even remotely close in taste to its earth-grown cousin.
I first had it at a fancy restaurant where we Dined – capital D dined – to mark a milestone anniversary. It was a magical night. So every year when I spot sea asparagus at the market I immediately think of my love, a delicious dinner with sablefish or maybe scallops, a crisp glass of Prosecco, a table overlooking the ocean, and candlelight.
Taste can conjure memories and stir emotions as much as the sight of a child’s first photo with Santa . . . the smell of steak barbecuing on a summer night . . . the sound of rain on the roof while you’re in bed . . . or the touch of a puppy licking your hand.
My job as a writer is to mine the senses, including the sense of taste. But it can be easy to slip into taste clichés: soothing hot chocolate on a cold night; refreshing ice cream at the lake; salty corn dogs at the fair. Those tastes are relatable because most of us have had hot chocolate on a cold night or a corn dog at the fair. But taste, like so many other things, is subjective.
Take corn dogs, for instance. I had a corn dog just once and once was enough. I was nine; it was my birthday; the corn dog made reappearance during a ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl. I haven’t had a corn dog since and the very sight of them is enough to make my stomach flip.
Grilled cheese sandwiches, a comfort food for some, remind me of a friend who died. So does cherry pound cake and licorice candy. Depending on my frame of mind, any one of those foods can make me feel nostalgic.
Other tastes have more positive connotations for me.
Braised short ribs take me right back to the comfort of Sunday dinner when I was a kid.
Coconut-covered marshmallows remind me of my grandfather and make me happy.
The taste of chives takes me back to my first garden and the sense of accomplishment I felt at planting it.
A sesame ball with red bean paste is guaranteed to make me feel sixteen again . . . thinking about friends . . . travel . . . and new horizons.
Earthy and old-fashioned date squares inspire gratitude because I’m reminded of a woman who gave me a place to live when I was a teen.
One sip of a margarita mentally transports me to a Mexican beach no matter where I happen to be.
And the taste of cherry cheesecake reminds me of the exhaustion, confusion and joy of being a new mother . . . and reminds me too of the friend who showed up with it and an offer to hold my infant so I could take a shower.
Taste can be a memory that lives again. Do you have any taste memories?
Brilliant, Laura. Food does hold memories. When you mention sea asparagus I remember a meal with a friend, sadly gone now. She’d picked the asparagus on her own beach and it was delicious. Like you say, nothing at all like my garden variety. I sometimes make Queen Elizabeth Cake out of my mother’s recipe book because my friend loves it as a part of her childhood. What a great way to evoke emotion in our readers.
Of course I had to google Queen Elizabeth cake! It looks delicious. Another recipe to put in my ‘to make one day’ pile.
I have two vivid memories of food from my childhood on the farm up north. Wild strawberry pie, the tiny wild strawberries picked by yours truly. And radish sandwiches, similar, I suppose, to cucumber sandwiches, but with much more zing. Imagine, home-made bread, home-churned butter, and thinly sliced spicy radishes. A combination of soft, sweet, spicy and crunch. Mmmmmm!
Great memories, Lea. Who can resist strawberry pie? And radish sandwiches sound intriguing!
Aw! I remember date squares too. Great blog.
Your mom will forever be linked in my mind with date squares. Well, her and the nuns across the street from the CBC. Remember those lunches and coffee breaks?
Yes, the Catholic Charities!
Speaking of t-shirts, did you hear about the Victoria HarbourCats who just hired the first female pitcher in the West Coast League? she has a t-shirt that reads “throw like a girl.”