I’ve realised something about myself over time.

The food I go back to… is never just about the food.

It depends on where I am in the world. What I’m craving. What mood I’m in. Even what kind of day I’ve had.

But somehow, I always circle back to the same kind of things.

Most of the time, it’s spicy Asian food. Thai, Chinese, sometimes Japanese. The kind of food I’ll order in without even thinking twice. It just hits the spot. Every single time.

Then there’s daal rice with yogurt.

That one is different.

Because it only truly feels right when my mom makes it. I’ve had the same dish in Spain, cooked the same way, with the same ingredients… but it never tastes the same.

There’s something about food in India. Or maybe it’s not just the food.

Maybe it’s everything around it.

And to be fair, anything my mom cooks… I will always go back for seconds. Or thirds. Doesn’t matter where I am. Madrid, Mumbai, anywhere.

That’s comfort on another level.

And then there are the Madrid staples I can’t live without.

A pincho de tortilla. At any time of the day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner… it doesn’t matter. It’s a full meal in itself.

Or a bocadillo de tortilla. Or jamón. Or calamares.

Add patatas bravas or alioli to that and honestly… I’m sorted.

But I’ve also noticed something else.

I’m always open to trying new things. Always.

But the moment I find my dish at a restaurant?

That’s it.

Game over.

I’m ordering that again. And again. And again.

No risks. No experiments. Just loyalty.

Because when something works… it works.

And when it comes to how I eat, it’s very much a mix of everything.

If I’m by myself, I eat out a lot. I live in the city centre, and there are restaurants literally right below my house. After a long day, the last thing I want to do sometimes is cook just for myself.

But then there are days when I do cook.

When I want something simple. Something familiar.

Something that feels like mine.

And I think that’s where the real question comes in.

Why do we go back to certain foods again and again?

Is it because they’re actually the best?

Or because of how they make us feel?

Because sometimes, it really is about the taste. That moment when you take a bite and think… how can something taste this good?

But other times, it’s something else entirely.

A dish that reminds you of home. Of your family. Of a specific person. Of a time in your life that you didn’t realise would become a memory.

Food has a way of doing that.

Of holding on to moments for us.

Of bringing them back, without asking.

Y al final, no es solo la comida… es todo lo que viene con ella.

And maybe that’s why we keep going back.

Not just for the food.

But for the feeling.

So now I’m wondering…

Do we really go back because the food is that good?

Or because it quietly takes us back to a version of ourselves we don’t want to forget?

— Raulito