Never before have people captured so many memories in photos and videos. But when it comes to bringing the past to life, smartphones can’t match the power of our natural senses. Is anything more evocative of Christmas than its distinctive flavours and smells? The first whiff of chestnuts roasting over a street vendor’s coals makes the heart of even the most ardent Scrooge warm towards thoughts of the festivities to come.
The catalogue of sensual Christmas memories seems almost endless: stockings filled with fragrant tangerines; the lingering gunpowder haze of pulled crackers; the intense herbiness of stuffing; the teasing, mouthwatering smell of turkey roasting for hours; the almond-tinged fruitiness of a marzipan-coated cake; the heady whiff of brandy-soaked pudding... We take the nostalgic power of these experiences for granted. But what is it about food that makes it so emotionally potent?