While struggling through a math problem set, my daily Bass Library visit was abruptly interrupted by my phone beeping an unusual amount of times. Texts came in from my best friend from home, reading: “Mel, look at what happened to Goldfish Crackers.” I immediately began to scour the internet, thinking my favorite childhood snack was being discontinued. To my surprise and relief, it was just that Goldfish Crackers’ name was being changed to “Chilean Sea Bass” for a week, in the hopes of appealing to older audiences by showing the crackers aren’t just for little kids. 

Now you may be wondering why I almost had a heart attack at the thought of an orange cracker being discontinued. Let me explain…

I cannot remember a time in my life where Goldfish have not been a foundational part of my diet. I have been eating them in large amounts since they were introduced to me. From munching on a tremendous bag of Goldfish from my minion lunch box in elementary school to pointing and begging my parents for the massive carton of them in Costco to snacking on them while studying for tests in high school, I’ve always had a bag of Goldfish ready to be eaten. So much so that my parents used to buy only one bag a week to limit me in middle school. 

Obviously, I love the perfectly salty and crispy flavor, but taste isn’t the only reason I’m addicted to them. They also magically transport me back to a time of happiness and comfort, and, most importantly, create a sense of home. I know that I can have a few crackers and feel as if I’m back on the couch watching SpongeBob with my dad, even if I’m actually in an unorganized dorm common room writing an essay. That’s because, as weird as it sounds, food holds much more than just flavor: it preserves memories. It has the power to immerse us in the past. 

While I don’t know which exact food invokes the same feeling for you, we all have a taste that brings us back to a period of joy in our lives. And if you can’t pinpoint one of these flavors for yourself, it’s definitely awaiting you in the future.