I remember my granny grilling vegetables and meat on a pleasant Sunday evening. Our Sundays were like a picnic that we mostly used to spend outside. It was the time when our whole family would go out and enjoy food together in the beautiful countryside. We had everything planned beforehand where to go and then came the weekend for us to go out and relish the food in the scenic countryside. Now, when I try to recreate that moment in my garden, there is always something that seems missing.

I have inherited the love of cooking from my grandmother who used to put love in her food. That love only added to the taste. However, now when I think what is missing in the taste of the food, I get the answer recollecting my mom’s saying that food always tastes better when you are outside. This makes all my confusions go away and understand that there is some magic in the outdoors that changes the taste of the food.  The bitter smell of the grilled smoke mixing with the sweet musky scent of the summer wind mingled to create a new flavour in the food.

Taste Not A Singular Entity

Taste is a multidimensional concept as it combines many other factors. When you taste the food, a chain of reaction starts. The first is the tongue that tells you about the food, its spices, and flavours. This leads to an emotional connection that you make with the cook. If the food is cooked by your loved one, you will get a different taste as compared to the food cooked by someone unrelated to you. Besides the taste, the emotional reaction to the place is also a prominent factor.  The greater the connection you have from the place, the greater the taste would be.

The surroundings change the perception of how we look at the food and how we perceive it. If you are tasting food outdoors, it combines all the natural fragrances. As all the senses are heightened when you are outdoors, the sense of taste is no exception. The taste goes to a new level as it combines with the smell of nature. Hence, the experience of the tasting the food becomes more memorable. The outdoors have a positive effect on the mind as you feel happy and stress-free. An outing is perfect for keeping your mental health in check.

That moment when we used to enjoy food and nature is captured in the photographs that I have.  Years have passed, the memories have faded too, but what’s left is the sweet aroma of the grilled meat, sizzling fire, and the musky summer wind in the depths of my mind. The food is now a memory to be cherished, that I will keep with me. The taste will linger in my mouth still locked in those stretched green valleys, beautiful mountains and amazing flora and fauna. It just tastes extra yummy when eaten outside.