Unforgettable Food Experiences

Someone just asked me about unforgettable food experiences. My head is reeling as I struggle to answer. 

Wow. There are so many. One thing they all have in common: it's not just about the food. It's about the experience. The atmosphere, location, and company are seared in my brain, augmenting the memory of the meal or food experience. Would love to hear if it's the same for you... 

Sorry for not having any of my own photos of these spots. I do actually have photos, but these trips and memories were pre-digital cameras for me. All of my shots on are slide film. I have listed the links to the sites where these photos were originally posted. One of these days I'll scan all of my slides.

http://travelbackgrounds.com/city-afloat-handelskade-willemstad-curacao-desktop-wallpaper/

Drinking lemonade under an umbrella on the Willemstad waterfront on the island of Curaçao. The pastel-colored buildings reminded me of Easter eggs. And the three of us huddled under the umbrella that was providing a small circle of shade as the sun battered the rest of the walkway. Was it the best lemonade I've ever tasted? I don't know. Probably not. It was certainly the most memorable. Jake had just gotten me a ring - a deep blue sapphire that looked like the water we'd been diving in all week. When he walked to the counter to get our drinks, our friend Shannon whispered to me, "Is that an engagement ring?!" I don't know, I almost wailed. I sipped my lemonade, admiring my new jewelry, confused and giddy. Turns out it was my engagement ring. I will never forget that lemonade.

http://www.awesomeislands.com/2011/05/aeolian-islands.html

I had rented a room on a farm on the island of Lipari (off the coast of Sicily). Each morning the family left me a basket of eggs and fresh vegetables. And one day - at 3am - they invited me to watch them make and jar their tomato sauce for the year. When it was all finished, just as the sun was coming up, we simmered fresh eggs in their tomato sauce with slices of huge garlic cloves, sprinkled it all with sea salt and topped it with some fresh basil. We ate it all with bread just out of the wood-burning oven in the field.

http://www.costasmeralda.cc/en/camping-costa-smeralda.html

I was snuggled in a sleeping bag against a hard granite boulder overlooking the turquoise water of Costa Smeralda on the island of Sardegna. My friend Kristin and I were watching the sunset, eating a local Pecorino cheese on flour-dusted bread that we tore off in chunks. We handed a bottle of Vermentino di Gallura back and forth. And for dessert: the smallest, but sweetest, strawberries I've ever tasted. What a way to celebrate my 23rd birthday.

What are some of your unforgettable food experiences? Comment below, or email me at constantmotioncamilla [at] gmail [dot] com.