Is it weird to remember the meals you ate as a child and adults at various restaurants? (edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[LegoTherapy]

Something got me thinking about this. I can remember lots of meals in a variety of different restaurants and locations throughout my childhood and adult life from about age 4. No trauma or significant events linked to any of them. Is that weird or is it perfectly ordinary to remember such things? I can remember meals at home and friend's or relative's houses too along with drinks.

Seems normal to me, unless you remember every meal from every day?

Specifically what I ate and drank on each occasion I mean. Might not have explained well!

I think I know what you mean. My first taste of pesto, the meal at a friend’s house, the taste of toast at my grans. I love food and have no visual memory so I think it just makes the memory of taste more important to me.

I can remember each restaurant, where we sat, what I ate. Restaurants around the world and various places in the UK.

I can do this too and so can ds2. We are both brilliant at remembering random stuff. Ds2 can remember useful things as well although I can only remember random rubbish!

Just noticed all my typos in the title 🙈 I've asked HQ to correct them.

That sounds normal, I can still taste the cold beef open sandwich I had in a cafe in a London department store.
I often think about the massive pie I had in Covent Garden after watching a show and sitting between my two aunts.
I can smell the chicken and rice and the stuffed peppers I had when I was 6 in different Greek tavernas.

I definitely cannot! I can remember a few but mostly not.

Yes, I remember what I ate for most meals outside home, right from childhood. Not so much the smell, but the texture and taste of the food. DH thinks I'm odd as he can't remember what he ate yesterday so finds it odd I can tell him what he ate at a a restaurant 20 years ago.

I remember having findus pancakes at a friend’s house as a small child - with ketchup no less! Two things we didn’t have at home. Eyeopening.

I get what you mean and think I do the same.

I think lots of people have certain things that they find easy to recall for no particular reason

I’m surprised so many people have this! I remember a few of the meals my mum had in high rotation during childhood but definitely not all of that detail.

I remember going to Cambridge on a family trip out and having lasagne. The restaurant was on the first floor (above a shop?). Lasagne wasn’t as ubiquitous as is today and was more of a grown-up meal. Think I was a young teen at the time.

Ever since I posted I have been remembering food - I could spend a day quite happily!

I really do, and I have strong nostalgia linked to al of them.

Very special meals yes. Otherwise just a general oh I used to enjoy the steak there or I loved grandmas lamb

Yes that's weird.
Sometimes I'm eating something and I think what on earth is this I have just made?
What is in it?
Was it that 'lump' in the fridge that I added? Is that the culprit?
At that point I scrape the lot into the bin (As I know that even the foxes in the garden are unlikely to eat it) and 'chef up' a pot noodle.
The Bombay Bad Boy is the current fave.
'Um-um' as they say in 'la belle France'.

I guess it's a bit like me with clothes.
I'll often remember what clothes my child was wearing when we did such and such or on whatever event. My friend is always surprised at that!

I guess it's a bit like me with clothes.
Same, I thought it was totally normal.

I can remember some memorable ones.

Same, I pretty much remember every meal I ever ate. I like food.

I can remember quite a lot about what I ate as a child - and I'm 60!
We didn't eat out very often and usually when we did it was to one particular pub. I still remember the huge gammon and pineapple with chips that I used to choose off the menu.

Yes, I can do this. I can tell you which table, who sat where and what everyone had.

My particular favourite is a memory of a Harvester Peach Melba ice cream circa 1985.

I've never thought about it before but yeah, I can too! How weird!
I've just gone through a mental list of restaurants/peoples houses/holidays and can remember exactly what I ate/where I sat/what the situation was for every one of them as far back as when I was a kid! My memory is otherwise shite!

I could probably remember about 30 specific meals on particular occasions if I really put my mind to it.