Remembrance Day

Written by Incaseofgrace

They may be gone, but they shall never be forgotten— all that food. All that culture.

— A grieving human

Remembrance day is observed once a year on Gaias, by humanity. The day is dedicated to remembering the various foods and dishes now impossible to obtain, the means of producing them burned to ash alongside Earth.

On Tongues

Remembrance day is international, as each surviving culture lost something from their cuisine. Apples, pork, tomatoes, celery (though this isn't sorely missed), honey, gochugaru, salmon, sumbala, yams, carrots, bok choy, and olives are most notable among the myriad ingredients lost after Earth's collapse. On top of the loss of Earth itself, their homes, their history— the loss of these foods only twisted the knife further for much of humanity. In their grief, some have even tried to genetically engineer the lost foods— as was the case with frankenanas— which now infest much of the Gaias' wilderness. However, most have simply had to find substitutes, or move on.

False advertising

As only a select few from before Earth's collapse are alive today, no one can call out corporations claiming to have recreated a lost flavor as liars.
As such, a popular marketing strategy in the food sector is to claim to have brought back one of the many lost flavors.

Odd, this salmon tastes completely unlike the one that came out last year...

— a confused customer

The feast

On Remembrance day, many will buy or cook meals that mimic those lost— substituting the lost ingredients as best they can. Or, for the wealthy— outright fabricating the taste via taste altering implants. Unfortunately, this technology was invented well after mankind's migration— most of those alive at the time had never set foot on Earth, and those who did were dwindling, as were their memories. As a result, manufacturers were only able to accurately recreate the flavor of celery.

I don't know if I should be elated or disappointed.

— Taste researcher