Comfort food provides nostalgia and self-satisfaction, often associated with Southern cooking. High in carbs and fat, it triggers positive memories and provides a sense of fullness and satisfaction. Ethnic or regional foods can also be a coping mechanism in unfamiliar surroundings.
There’s a compelling reason for the pint of premium ice cream in the freezer, the supply of candy bars in your desk drawer, or the collection of boxes of cereal in your pantry. These are all examples of comfort food, those preparations that provide a sense of nostalgia or self-satisfaction for the consumer. This type of food isn’t designed to be particularly healthy, but it does provide a welcome respite from the stresses of the outside world.
While any food with personal meaning to the consumer could be considered comfort food, many people associate the term with Southern cooking. Traditional Southern recipes often call for significant amounts of sugar, carbohydrates and fat, often all at once. Frying is also a favorite cooking method for Southern cooks. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and biscuits qualify as comforting for transplanted Southerners or those with relatives in the South.
Comfort foods, especially those high in carbohydrates or fat, are often more satisfying than other offerings. An ideal comfort food should “stick to the ribs,” meaning that it provides a sense of fullness and satisfaction long after it is consumed. Many people choose a personal comfort food for this very reason. A quart of premium ice cream or an extra large slab of prime rib can be very exciting.
A comfort food can also trigger positive memories of childhood meals or other occasions. Many people seek out ethnic or regional foods as a coping mechanism in unfamiliar surroundings. As long as a person can still get a favorite food, the rest of the challenges may seem more surmountable. A comfort food like a baby cereal or a novelty candy may not hold as much appeal to others, but many people find great comfort in reconnecting with foods from their previous years.
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