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Blueberry muffins are an ultimate comfort food, something sociologists call a “nostalgic food” because they bring us back to feelings of happiness in simpler times. These buttermilk muffins with blueberry compote are extra-comfy.
“To praise the blueberry
is to praise the ordinary and easily obtained
pleasures of this world,
spartan gems,
in green plastic baskets,
summer’s caviar…”
– excerpt from Ode to Blueberries, Campbell McGrath
Blueberries are both humble and a “super food,” something often added to treats that also provide a lot of antioxidant health benefits. While the more imaginative among us might be able to trick ourselves into thinking we’re doing something healthy when we consume blueberry pie, blueberry pancakes, or blueberry muffins, mostly we crave them when we’re looking for a comfort food.
The very notion of comfort foods proves the relationship between food as a biological need and food as a social idea. Consider the thoughts of sociologist George Mead, written in 1934:
“The behavior of all living organisms has a basically social aspect: the fundamental biological or physiological impulses and needs which lie at the basis of all such behavior—especially those of hunger and sex, those connected with nutrition and reproduction—are impulses and needs which, in the broadest sense, are social in character or have social implications, since they involve or require social situations or relations for their satisfaction by any given individual organism; and they thus constitute the foundation of all types or forms of social behavior…”
In other words, as Deborah Lupton has succinctly said, “An appetite is an emotionally flavored hunger.” Both of these quotes come from Julie Locher et al.’s 2005 article in Food & Foodways, Comfort Foods: An Exploratory Journey into the Social and Emotional Significance of Food. The quotes set up the authors’ research project where they invited students in their Intro to Sociology and Social Aspects of Food and Eating classes to bring in food for a potluck that “made them feel good,” or “provided them comfort” to share with the class.
The students’ stories about their food items revealed that comfort foods can be categorized into four groups: nostalgic foods, indulgence foods, convenience foods, and physical comfort foods.
It may come as no surprise that blueberry muffins made an appearance. Which category? That’s right, nostalgic foods. These are foods that are identified with a certain time and place in one’s life. The draw to nostalgic foods for comfort likely bring back a feeling of peace, happiness, safety, or simplicity we associate with a person or a time in life. Nostalgic feelings for food we experienced in childhood have an especially profound draw for many of us. As Locher et al. explain:
“The nostalgic longing and consumption of particular food items sustain one’s sense of cultural, familial, and self-identity. When we are physically disconnected from a community, a family, or any primary group that defines who we are, our sense of self may become fractured. In these instances, consuming food items intimately linked with one’s past may repair such fractures by maintaining a continuity of the self in unfamiliar surroundings.”
Or as one of their students explained about blueberry muffins, “Now that I live far from my family, blueberry muffins still remind me of Saturday morning chats. If I’m feeling lonely or missing them too much, I can pull out a mix and memories of my family instantly comfort me.”
Perhaps this is why so many blueberry muffins were baked in the early days of the COVID-19 stay at home order days. At that time Nisha Chittal, like many of us, started noticing the sourdough loaves, raspberry scones, chocolate chip cookies, banana breads, and blueberry muffins appearing on her Instagram feed. Writing for Vox, she explains “while I’ve been stuck in my apartment, cooking and baking have become my outlet to channel all my fears and anxieties, and I’m far from alone.”
Part of it, she admits, is functional – we had to eat, and we were eating at home. But part of quarantine cooking fulfilled much more: an opportunity to focus. A productive task at hand, attention to the final product, not letting the muffins burn, kept our busy minds occupied for a little while. We also shared the food we cooked and baked, creating a familiar practice of community in otherwise lonely and isolating time.
Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins
Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
the zest of 1 lemon
1 - 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
[optional] 1/2 cup blueberry compote [see Note 1]
3-4 tsp course sparkling sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400F and prepare muffin tins - line with muffin liners and use nonstick spray
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Gradually mix the buttermilk into the flour mixture, stirring gently and being careful not to over mix.
- [Optional step] Even more gradually fold in the blueberry compote, about 2-3 turns of your spoon. If you allow the streaks to mix too much the batter will just turn purple.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide batter evenly between 12 muffin tins.
- Sprinkle generously with sparkling sugar.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- I used leftover blueberry compote from my Blueberry Blueberry Pancakes. If you choose to include the optional compote, see this portion of the recipe and cut it in half.
