Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

Growing up, it was mandatory that we had tortilla chips and jar salsa in the panty at all times. Not only was it a great snack, but a comfort food of my mom’s from her youth spent in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at a restaurant called Carlos & Pepe’s.

I’ve never been to that restaurant in my life, but due to my mom’s tradition, it also became a comfort food for me. I remember every afternoon for a snack I’d either eat pretzels or chips and salsa in little plastic bowls that are now cherished relics of the early 2000s.

I would sit on the living room floor, eat the snack, and watch whatever shows were playing on PBS Kids; though usually it was Arthur or Cyberchase.

As an adult, I also keep tortilla chips and salsa in my house at all times. It’s a tradition I hope will live on through future generations as well, despite it being something so random and seemingly unimportant. But the snack reminds me of my mom, of my childhood home, and brings comfort to me like it does for her.

– A.B.