Why build a food memory detective?
Because family recipes are often remembered as fragments first: the pan, the smell, the aunt who made it, the word nobody can spell, the one texture that tells you the answer is close.
Notes from the food-memory desk.
The science behind why one bite brings it back
Aroma, fat, browning, acid, sugar, starch texture, and serving temperature can carry more memory than a full ingredient list. Achiote tests those mechanisms before it asks anyone to cook.
How to interview your family about lost recipes
Ask for sensory clues, occasions, rough names, who made it, where ingredients came from, and what everyone disagrees about. Keep unknowns visible until someone checks them.