I was little enough that my feet dangled from the dining chair, and the kitchen was warm from hours of cooking. My relatives were talking and laughing over each other, Christmas music played softly somewhere in the background, and the windows had started to fog from the cold outside. My family is Apache and Navajo on one side and German on the other, so our holiday table was always a mix of different traditions. There might be tamales beside potato dishes, red chile beside Christmas cookies, and somehow it all fit together perfectly.

Then someone placed a basket of fresh sopapillas on the table.

At first, I thought they looked like tiny golden pillows.

One of my aunts leaned over and told me, very seriously, “Open it carefully. The honey goes inside.”

I took my first bite while it was still warm, and honestly, it tasted like a sweet doughy cloud covered in honey. Soft, airy, a little messy, and completely comforting. Even now, that flavor still reminds me of Christmas evenings and crowded family kitchens.

To this day, sopapillas still taste like Christmas to me.

If you have never tried one before, a sopapilla is a fluffy fried pastry popular in New Mexico and the American Southwest. They are crispy outside and soft inside, and they are usually served warm with honey. Some people eat them with savory meals, but dessert sopapillas are my favorite.

The best sopapillas arrive fresh from the fryer, still warm enough to hold carefully in your hands. When they puff up while cooking, they create a little pocket inside for honey. Honestly, as a child, I thought that was the most magical thing in the world.

Food in New Mexico tells the story of many cultures living alongside each other for generations. Native American traditions, Spanish influences, and Mexican cooking all helped shape the region’s food. The Pueblo peoples of the Southwest have lived in the area for centuries, and many traditional foods use local ingredients like corn, beans, squash, chile, and honey.

Growing up, I always liked hearing older family members talk about food memories because every dish seemed connected to a person or a story. I think many Japanese people may understand that feeling too. In both cultures, there is often deep respect for family traditions, seasonal gatherings, handmade food, and recipes passed down through generations. Food becomes connected to memory and comfort.

Maybe that is why sopapillas feel so nostalgic to me.

They are not fancy desserts. They are simple, warm, and meant to be shared with people you love, and I think those are the best kinds of desserts.

One thing I also love is the cozy language people use around food in English. Native speakers often use soft, comforting expressions when talking about meals and desserts with family.

Here are a few examples from this article:

- Sweet tooth
- Hits the spot
- Comfort food
- Warm and cozy
- Fresh from the fryer

For example:

“Hot soup really hits the spot on cold winter nights.”

Or:

“My grandmother’s cooking is my favorite comfort food.”

I think sopapillas are definitely comfort food for me. The smell of warm honey instantly takes me back to that Christmas party when I was a child, sitting at the crowded table with my family while snow fell quietly outside.

Sometimes food memories stay with us forever.

Useful Vocabulary and Expressions

Sopapilla
A fluffy fried pastry from New Mexico and the American Southwest.

Honey drizzle
A small amount of honey poured over food.
Example: “I added a honey drizzle on top.”

Sweet tooth
A strong love for sugary foods.
Example: “My brother has a huge sweet tooth.”

Comfort food
Food that makes you feel emotionally happy or relaxed.

Hits the spot
Exactly satisfying or comforting.
Example: “Tea really hits the spot on rainy days.”

Warm and cozy
A soft, comfortable feeling often connected to winter, home, or family.

Fresh from the fryer
Recently cooked in hot oil.

Nostalgic
A warm feeling connected to happy memories from the past.

Mini English Challenge

What food reminds you of childhood?

What dessert feels warm and cozy to you?

Do you have a favorite holiday food memory?

Now every time I smell warm honey, I immediately think of Christmas lights, foggy windows, and tiny golden sopapillas on the dinner table.