Looking for a good food podcast? Join The Storied Recipe Community as my global guests delve into their own stories and heritage through the vessel of beautiful food memories.
This podcast is a little bit about cooking... and a lot about people. Each episode unearths the untold stories and cultural significance of beloved dishes that have stood the test of time.
Holiday Episodes
Warm baking memories, the intersection of food, culture, and religion, and beautiful holiday traditions are just some of the topics we cover in these episodes
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Explore food memories from guests sorted by region and heritage to learn about cultures around the world.
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Dive into discussions with authors, professionals in the food industry, and third culture adults about their memories of food and how they shaped their lives & identities.
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The Storied Recipe Podcast Goes Beyond Memories of Food
If you love a good food story, you've come to the right place! (And if you don't yet, you will soon!) Every week, a guest shares a new story about food. The Storied Recipe is a unique podcast that effortlessly crosses the lines between the cooking, documentary, and culture genres.
The only rule for my guests is that they share a recipe cherished for it’s significance to their culture, heritage, or memories. When it comes to the interview, the recipe is really just a springboard from which we dive deep into the guest's life story. Some dishes tell the story of comfort in heartache or nostalgia for "home". Often, they speak to the resilience of a family.
New flavors and techniques in each recipe teach us about the geography, history, and agricultural traditions of different lands and people groups.
The heartbeat of the podcast is "everyday" people with extraordinary stories (and the world is full of people like that). When we do have a guest that works professionally in the food space, my primary goal is to learn about the family, culture, and experiences that culminated in their work.
It is an enormous honor to curate and share these food stories through my interviews and photography. Thank you so much for being here and honoring them with me!
The Storied Recipe Is Not Just A Podcast
I share my guest's stories in their own words and their own voices. We go beyond the memories to discuss issues of values, identity, home, politics, religion.
Recipes
Through the generous sharing of my guests, this website is a collection of global recipes.
Photos
I strive to honor the cultures & families these dishes represent by photographing the dishes in beautiful light.
Community
Together we become better cooks & more informed global citizens. Join The Storied Recipe Community here.
What listeners are saying...
I’ve been a fan of The Storied Recipe Podcast for about a year now, and cannot think of a single episode I haven’t enjoyed. Becky’s natural and friendly interviewing style instantly draws the listener in and makes the conversation with guests feel like new and old friends catching up over meals-- as stories, experiences, and cultures are lovingly and respectfully shared, mulled over, and woven together. Bravo! Food is really the great connector and that certainly rings true with this thoughtful podcast.
Food and Memories
Food isn't just sustenance; it's a journey that takes us through time and space, unlocking a treasure trove the best childhood memories - and sometimes the most difficult as well. Our senses of taste and smell are intricate pathways to the past, creating a direct link to our cultures, heritage, and those that loved us through their cooking.
Beyond Memories
In The Storied Recipe Podcast, we use food and baking memories to explore the profound connections between religion, culture, and family. With each interview, we delve into how our favorite food memories create and strengthen our identities and create a sense of home, no matter how far we have traveled in our journey of life.
My Motivation
Food can do something very few other things can do: it has powers to disarm and unite us. There is something paradoxical about food. It is a mark and celebration of every culture as unique. At the same time, the love of food is universal. Sharing recipes and food stories, therefore, is a way to both honor our differences, while reminding us what we have in common. The need for nourishment is foundational to the human experience. When we share a meal, a dish, or even a scrap of food with one another, we are bonded across differences.
But we in The Storied Recipe community are spread out across the globe and cannot share meals together. This podcast is the second best thing. When a guest shares their personal story about food, they invite us into their culture, heritage, family life. And when you listen to their story, you invite them into your home. Strangers may even become friends.
Senses As a Portal to Memories
The sense of smell can whisk us back to our earliest years with a single whiff. Researchers have discovered that the olfactory bulb, the part of the brain responsible for processing scents, is closely linked to the hippocampus and amygdala, which play significant roles in memory and emotion. This connection explains why a mere aroma can trigger vivid memories and emotions associated with specific moments in our lives.
Taste and Emotional Connections
Just like smell, taste is a remarkable channel to revisit the past. Our taste buds, those tiny sensory organs on our tongues, can hold an extraordinary amount of influence over our recollections. A first taste, whether it's a warm slice of apple pie or a complex dish from a Chinese restaurant, often becomes an indelible part of our life story. This is because taste memories are closely linked with the emotional memories we form during highly appealing food experiences.
A Sense of Place
Childhood experiences are fertile ground for forming lasting memories, especially when it comes to food. The dining room of grandma's house, Sunday mornings filled with the aroma of freshly baked goods, and family meals at the heart of cultural traditions create a sensory quality that goes beyond nourishment. Such recollections are deeply embedded in our minds and can evoke feelings of comfort, security, and nostalgia.
The Science Behind Food Memories
Neuroscientist Hadley Bergstrom from Harvard University Press has delved into the intricacies of how our brains process food memories. Her research suggests that certain foods can become "effective triggers of deeper memories of feelings" due to the way they engage different parts of the brain. Bergstrom highlights how our eating habits are often shaped during our early years, but even as older adults, a lot of our memories are still centered around the food choices we made in our youth.
Associative Memories and Symbolism
Food is often intertwined with significant life moments, making it a powerful tool for creating associative memories. A special occasion marked by a delicious meal can engrain the whole experience with a lot of symbolism, capturing not just the taste but also the emotions and context of the moment. From birthdays to holidays, the foods we share with loved ones become integral parts of our personal narratives.
Food Triggers and Emotional Resonance
Certain foods hold more than just taste; they also act as powerful triggers for emotions. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts have studied how the sensory stimulation of taste and smell can evoke long-forgotten memories. This connection is so profound that it can even aid individuals suffering from eating disorders or taste aversion by associating new memories with positive experiences around food.
In John S. Allen's "The Omnivorous Mind," he brilliantly encapsulates how our memories of food are intertwined with our life's moments, stating, "We are omnivores, and our dining room is the world." As we traverse this world, we carry with us a treasure trove of taste memories, childhood food experiences, and cultural connections. These memories shape our identity and influence our choices, making food not just a survival tactic but a celebration of life's rich tapestry. The next time you savor a beloved dish, remember that you're not just tasting flavors – you're revisiting a flood of emotions, embarking on a journey through time, and embracing the full spectrum of human experience.