People From Around The World Shared Nostalgic Foods From Their Childhoods And I Kind Of Wanna Try Them All
From the humble otter pop to Norwegian risgrøt.
Everyone had at least one beloved food or snack growing up that just ~hit~. For me, all it takes is a bite of a grilled cheese (with fake American cheese slices, of course) and I'm transported back to childhood. Ever curious, I asked the BuzzFeed Community to reveal what childhood food they still crave as adults, and wow oh wow, did they deliver.
Below are some of the best responses from people around the world. Get ready for a big dose of nostalgia (and hunger!).
1. Mollete
"Mollete. It's a bolillo (savory bread) topped with beans and cheese and toasted under the broiler. It's ridiculously easy and insanely good."
2. Breakfast Rice
"My Southern mother from Oklahoma used to make us what she calls 'breakfast rice.' She would melt an entire stick of butter into a pot of white rice, then dump in a full cup of sugar with a pinch of salt. To this day, whenever I’m homesick or depressed, I pull out the rice maker and make myself a big bowl of pure buttery sugary nostalgia."
3. Pastina
"My mom and grandma would make it any time I was sick, and it always made me feel better. My grandma jokingly referred to it as Italian penicillin. I still make it today when I feel unwell."
4. Potato Smiles
"I'm American, and I still crave potato smiles. They're like french fries but in the shape of a smiley face. They come frozen in a little box with chicken nuggets."
"The little potato smiley faces; they make me soooo happy!"
5. Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
"Even though both my parents worked full-time, I had three brothers and things got a little tight before their monthly payday. Mom often made creamed chipped beef on toast; it was filling and delicious. When I eat it to this day (I buy the frozen microwave portions now), it takes me back to a simpler, carefree time."
6. Mush
"It's mashed potatoes, meatballs, and cauliflower mashed into the potatoes. I don't know why it was so good but it was. Planning on making it one day soon, gourmet-style."
7. Egg Tarts
"I’m Chinese and egg tarts are always so nostalgic! Living in NYC means you can get them pretty much all the time, but growing up in Maryland meant that we only ate Chinese food out on Sundays after church, and it always ended with egg tarts. My mom never attempted to make them because she had too much to handle raising me and my sister 😅."
8. Cabbage Sausages
"My grandpa was a butcher and he used to make these sausages with cabbage inside (SO GOOD). Every time I eat some, I feel like a kid again and I feel like he’s still here with us. Also, the homemade saucisson he used to make (yep, I’m French) and my grandmother’s mashed potatoes. Heaven on earth."
9. Risgrøt
"My great-grandma was Norwegian and she would always make risgrøt, which is basically like a sweet rice porridge, and so every time I taste it, it reminds me of her."
10. Maggi
"I'm Indian and I absolutely loved (and still love) Maggi! I mean, EVERY Indian loves Maggi... Just look it up on Google and if possible please try them!"
11. Rahmschnitzel With Spaetzle
"I worked in a German restaurant in my late teens and early twenties, and my boss would always make this and bring it to me when I was sick or having a bad day. It was hard being on my own and she became a second mom to me. I now make it for myself, but it’s not as good as my German second mama’s."
12. Apple Pie and Peach Cobbler
"Apple pie and peach cobbler (I'm Black) with a cup of cold milk."
13. Chorizo con Huevos
"My grandpa's chorizo con huevos with homemade tortillas. No one made it like he did (but thankfully my best friend's husband comes close!)."
14. Homemade Biscuits and Corn Syrup
"This was my favorite breakfast growing up and only my Mimi made it (because it’s not the healthiest lol). So when we would go stay with her, I’d wake up to the smell of biscuits and sausage and it was just the best feeling in the world. I’m 22 and she still makes them [every time] we stay with her! Makes me feel like a giddy little kid again."
15. 1-2-3 Jello
"My mom made me 1-2-3 Jello in the '80s. She put it in these cute pink vintage, Art Deco custard dishes that had belonged to my grandma. It’s jello that separates into three textures/consistencies: jello, custard, and sponge. It sounds gross and it very well could be. They discontinued it decades ago — I loved it though!"
16. Bird's Hot Crunch Pudding
"Is it extremely basic to say Bird’s Hot Crunch Pudding? (Only older British millennials will understand that reference)."
(Author's note: As a younger, non-British millennial, I had to look this up out of curiosity: It's warm pudding topped with a crunchy layer. Interesting!)
17. Borscht, Pierogies, and Cabbage Rolls
"Definitely my Baba's homemade borscht, pierogies, or cabbage rolls that she would make for us on special occasions! I'm Ukrainian on my mom's side and just the smell of those foods gets me so nostalgic."
18. Thick Blinis
"Thick blinis that my Belorussian grandma would make. They were a real village food: neither blinis (crepes) nor pancakes, but something in between. They had both grated potatoes and regular dough in them and they were incredibly filling. Kind of crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside — served with fried eggs, sausages, or whatever you wanted. I remember she'd always bring me the first pancake on a plate while I was still in bed and I'd eat it with my hands. I miss those days."
19. Buttery Cinnamon Tortilla
"Toasted white flour tortilla on the gas stove top so you get some charred bits...butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Roll up and eat quickly so the butter doesn't drip out!"
20. Shortbread
"Shortbread (I'm Scottish)! My grandma used to make the most delicious shortbread for me and my cousins, and the taste always brings back great memories! I can never quite recreate it perfectly but still, whenever I have it, it makes me feel all nostalgic!"
21. Minute Rice with Soya Sauce
"It was the first thing I learned to cook and it became my thing! Everyone knew me as 'the minute rice girl.' Even today nothing is more comforting than a bowl of minute rice with a sprinkle of soya sauce on it."
22. Piroște
"I'm Romanian and my grandma used to make us a dessert called piroște. It's noodles cut into a square shape filled with plum jam then boiled. She used to make us that every summer when my brother and I were little."
23. Challah
"I’m Jewish and challah will always make me feel good. Same goes for hamentaschen. And latkes and matzo balls. We really like food!"
24. Tortilla with Sour Cream and Chips
"Sometimes I used to take a tortilla, spread sour cream on it, and sprinkle on some crushed chips. Afterward, I folded it in half and cut it like a pizza. Delicious. 🤤"
25. Egg Soldiers
"Soldiers! My mum would make a soft-boiled egg, cut up a slice of toast with butter into strips, and I'd dunk them in my egg on Saturday mornings watching cartoons."
"Dippy eggs! I still cut up the toast for dipping. My husband thinks I’m weird for not just putting a soft-boiled egg on a piece of toast like an adult should. Just doesn’t taste the same."
26. Pancit and Lumpia
"Pancit and lumpia — good thing my dad taught me how to make them."
27. White Bread with Chili Beans and Cheese
"My mom's 'end of the month' meal, aka when we didn't have a lot of money until next paycheck so we had to get creative. It was a piece of white bread with Dennison’s chili beans and cheese on top. So good. 😋"
28. Shirley Temple
"I guess if you count the cherries, it’s a food."
29. Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Garlic Sauce
"We did have a family favorite: roasted chicken with potatoes and garlic sauce. It's super easy to make and super delicious. So whenever Mom didn't feel like cooking anything complicated, she'd ask us what we wanted to eat, because we'd always say roasted chicken with potatoes and garlic sauce. By that time, she'd already seasoned the chicken and peeled the potatoes. 😅"
30. Tiramisu

"My Noni would make the absolute best tiramisu. I’ve missed it since I became vegan. Since the pandemic, I haven’t been able to hug her but she lays out a blanket in her backyard so I can sit there with my doggy and talk to her while she eats tiramisu...in front of me...on her patio knowing how much I crave it lol 😫."
And finally...
31. Otter Pops
"Otter pops on a hot summer night."
Did we miss your favorite childhood food? Drop it in the comments below!
Some replies have been edited for length and/or clarity.