My entire life, I was a peanut butter person. “Peanut butter, just peanut butter,” I would say to my Mama. For my sister, however, she requested “Jelly, just jelly." Now, it wasn’t until I got older that I began to hear about the wonders of Nutella. I had heard the name spoken around the playground and, as the curious child that I was, went home to ask my mother to buy it from the grocery store. A few weeks later, my mom came home with a jar of brown silky goodness. It was the first time I had ever fallen in love. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of my awkward stage, meaning, I was a tad overweight. My Nutella intake was limited because I eat like a bulldozer. To this day, nothing has changed.

My enraged little self-argued to the death with my mom about the meaning of "moderation." There was nothing I looked forward to more than my English muffin at the end of the day. Half with peanut butter, half slathered with Nutella (moderation remember?). I couldn’t wait until the clock hit 2:23 p.m. and I was off to the pick-up line. The only barrier between me and my snack was 5 minutes in a school zone. Other than that, nothing could get in the way of me scarfing down a mouthful of crispy warm bread with chocolate dripping down my fingertips. Obviously, I would save the half with Nutella for last. It was necessary that I savor it.

The older I get, the more I realize that Nutella has been by my side through many stressful situations. In high school, my father got very sick and was rushed to the hospital. When stress hits, I can’t stomach food. The only thing I was able to eat were spoonfuls of Nutella. Within the course of 2 hours, I licked the entire jar clean. Fast-forward 5 years later to the present: I recently have gone through a big change in my life and it is apparent that stress and I are not compatible. When I was at the grocery store a couple months ago, moping my way through the aisles, my eyes gazed upon Nutella snack packs in bulk. This was the only item I purchased that day at Costco. Who only leaves Costco with one item?!t I realized this week that Nutella pumps through my veins.

What used to be considered a delicacy in my house has become almost as common as peanut butter and jelly itself. Whenever there’s a new product, my mom always brings it home. Nutella is one of the first items that influenced my drive to become a pastry chef. It is no surprise that this small jar of hazelnut and cocoa deliciousness holds an important part in my life.

It is evident to see the impact that food has all across the globe. The culinary world continues to flourish, and new ingredients are being discovered every minute. People focus their careers on finding the next best eats that will move a nation. Whether it be for comfort or religious reasons, food makes people happy. It is here for us to learn and experience and expand our lives. If we only needed meals to survive on a day to day basis, the impact of food in today’s culture would not be nearly as immense. Food is here not to just nourish the body, but to spread love, bring peace and transform the human experience.