The phrase comfort foods hasn’t always been used to refer to foods that have a nostalgic implication. Kim and Leigh talk about the changes to the meaning of the phrase, how comfort food is defined by listeners, and the moral value of food.
Comforting Foods
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about comfort foods? It may surprise you to learn that the phrase comfort food hasn’t always been associated with foods that have a nostalgic implication attached to them. Today we share how the phrase has changed its meaning over the years, discuss comfort food from a psychological perspective, and share some listeners' thoughts on what it takes to be classified as a comfort food.
Introduced in the 1960s, the term comfort food was associated with consumer psychology and notably held a negative connotation. It wasn't until the 1980s that people started turning the dialogue around and associating it with nostalgic foods.
In her book, Comforting Food Judith Olney described comfort foods as evocative and nostalgic, rich, golden, and juicy.
Although comfort food has become a culinary genre unto itself, the way we view and describe comfort foods, individually can be quite different. Some people associate comfort foods as creamy, rich, or naughty foods. In contrast, others define it by the sensation a particular food induces. Often, we associate comfort foods with our memories of happier times. A particular food may evoke a specific memory and become a touchstone loved one or those we’ve lost.
Whether you define comfort food by its structure, the sensation that it evokes, or the memories that it stirs, there is a universality to it. As Judith Olney points out, comfort food has no social pretense. It’s simple and oftentimes what we would consider old fashioned. And true to its moniker, it brings relief to whatever seems to be ailing us.
Is there a specific food that brings you comfort?
Comfort Foods Transcript
🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧
Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode
Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading
Comforting Foods, Judith Olney
Recipes You Really Need to Try
Langostino Mac and Cheese - Pook’s Pantry
Chicken Pot Shepard’s Pie - Family Spice
Episodes we think you’ll like
Feminism at the Kitchen Counter: from Betty Crocker to Julia Child
Fisherman’s Stew: A Savory Representation of Region, Culture, and Flavors
We would love to connect with you
AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.
Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com
Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.
And please subscribe to As We Eat, Going Places. Eric and Leigh will be traveling in their converted van sharing stories of food culture from the road.
We hope that you’re enjoying the podcast. If you would like more, for just a few dollars, you can get access to this exclusive content as well as more in-depth articles and help keep our oven lights on!
Thank you for listening to the As We Eat Podcast. This post is public so share it with a friend - or three :)
EP 3: Comfort Foods From Consumer Psychology to Naughty Foods