Comfort Food

A colleague wanted to have ice-cream for merienda. I asked why the craving ….. wala naman daw… just need comforting.  Para sa kanya pala – ice cream is a “comfort food”.  Yup — a term that Dr. Phil and Oprah does not approve.  According to their psychobabble – emotional eating (or need to eat for comfort) when sad or depress is the main reason of obesity.  Well.. that may be true…. Pero mga pinoy tayo. We don’t go to shrinks when we feel down and troubled. Minsan we talk to a friend or a love one. Minsan naman — dinadaan na lang natin sa kain. Hence – comfort food is a very popular term para sa mga Pinoy.

Ano nga ba ang comfort food? Well — literally —  pagkain na nagbibigay ng emotional comfort. Sa tingin ko – lahat naman tayo ay may comfort food.  Para sa akin – sopas at lugaw. Bakit? May sagot ako dyan. Pinag-isipan ko mabuti yan.  Personally – naniniwala ako na nagiging comfort food ang isang pagkain if you can associate it with a happy feeling or a feeling of relief. Kunwari sa akin — chicken sopas  ang niluluto ng nanay ko when I get sick. Hindi nya pinaluluto sa iba – sya mismo ang nagluluto. So na-associate ko ang chicken sopas with the love and care of my mom.  Sa lugaw naman – ito ang madalas na niluluto ng nanay pag pasko at bagong taon. Well – nagluluto rin sya ng iba pang putahe like spaghetti etc - pero there’s nothing like eating a steaming hot lugaw pag malamig ang simoy ng hangin… at may gayak ang bawat tahanan. J So I associate lugaw with the happy celebration and family togetherness of the season.

 Everytime I do feel sad or depress — a hot bowl of sopas or arrozcaldo somehow diminish the bad feelings. Parang nabibigyan ako ng relief… ng hope… ng reminder na lahat ng nangyari na masama ay temporary lang .. and sooner or later – things will be okay.