Our existence, like nature, has its seasons.
In spring, life bursts forth from the trees and flowers bloom. We love the summer season, day after day with its long sunny days and the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables
The leaves that change color in the fall remind us how beautiful life is.
Through this symphony of colors, the nights grow colder and the winter breeze tells us that life will fade away a little bit. We are lucky to have these little reminders, they help us appreciate every moment of our lives.
Live each season that passes!
In Quebec, as everywhere else in the world, meals shared with family or friends are a privileged moment to promote the pleasure of the senses. Taste, colors, textures and smells stimulate the memory and give rise to particularly positive exchanges.
For the elderly, for whom sensory experiences are increasingly limited, the simple tasting of a meal "from the past", with family members or friends, could provide a stimulating sensory experience since, as with music, the memory of taste is very resistant to being forgotten.
The memory of taste is socially constructed by the environment and lifestyle. It is based on a family history that is itself forged by religious, cultural, culinary and cultivation practices.
However, in an era of globalization and due to the aging of our population, the memory of taste and the sensory experiences that are naturally associated with it tend to be restricted within senior residences.
Due to the practicalities of the standardization of the palette of tastes formatted by the agri-food giants, our seniors are almost totally deprived of the daily pleasure of eating a meal made up of the foods that delight their palate.
As the fall afternoons cool down, why not take some time to cook Grandma's favorite dish or Grandpa's comforting soup?
Not only will you be perpetuating a family culinary culture, but your elders will likely be delighted to welcome you and enjoy one of their epicurean memories with you.
Comments