Every student comes from a different background, which affects the foods they like but food can resonate so strongly with an individual that it becomes comfort food for them.
Many comfort foods begin as something students ate when they were children or a common family recipe. Whether it’s homemade dishes or recipes from a cookbook, students enjoy various types of comfort food for the taste or the memories associated with it. Comfort food can be as simple as snacky foods filled with sugar and calories but also nutrient-dense foods that are a bit on the healthier side.
Comfort food doesn’t always have to be food bought at a restaurant or kept in the pantry as snacks. Anyone can enjoy delicious meals at home if they know how to cook for themselves.
Business administration junior Korbyn Kahl has had a positive experience with food because of memories from the kitchen with his family when he was younger.
“My experience with food is good,” Kahl said. “Cooking is something that my mom and I bonded over, and same goes for my grandma. Some of my childhood lessons and memories came in the kitchen, and it has shaped how I eat now because we ate fairly healthy as a family, so that habit has been in me, so I haven’t really been able to break it. Hopefully that doesn’t change any time soon.”
Kahl mentioned homemade white chicken chili as a dish he’d make back home. Given the opportunity to help make food at a younger age, Kahl has described himself more as a foodie than a connoisseur.
“I would say I’m more of a foodie,” Kahl said. “I like food a lot, and I’m always interested in trying new things but also keep going back to my tried and true food items.”
Not all comfort foods are typical recipes. Some unique types of food combinations can be turned into favorite dishes.
Business administration freshman Jacob Zimmer has a unique favorite dish created by his family.
“My personal favorite is my grandma makes these zucchini turkey burgers,” Zimmer said. “A lot of people think they’re weir but I love them because they taste amazing. My grandma always makes the zucchini burgers for my birthday or for any special occasion, and so I just associate the burgers with any type of celebration.”
Apart from zucchini turkey burgers, Zimmer mentioned a food he eats simply for comfort.
“Spaghetti would be the top comfort food I’d eat if I had to pick one,” Zimmer said. “It’s got this warm feeling, and you feel full afterwards, and every time I eat it, I just want to go to sleep. It just makes me very calm.”
Some comfort food can come from parents’ cooking, as the feeling of tasting food from a parent is pleasurable.
English education senior Elizabeth Montgomery shared her favorite type of comfort food.
“My favorite comfort food has to be pasta,” Montgomery said. “Mac and cheese, ravioli, fettuccine, lasagna. I love any type of pasta.”
Montgomery credits her dad for her love of pasta.
“My dad is a good chef,” Montgomery said. “He makes the most yummy pasta ever, so whenever I eat pasta, I think of him.”
Food has value beyond filling people’s stomachs. Certain foods bring people happiness and memories around the world. Whether it’s for comfort or special occasions, having food that brings satisfaction can be rewarding.