Whiffs of food can generate real nose-talgia...

THERE'S a reason why the waft of a chipper or the scent of your granny's brown bread can transport you back to a moment in time.

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

Smell is the only sense that connects directly to the brain's limbic system, which governs memory and emotion.

So it's no surprise that certain foods are often steeped in nostalgia, particularly those from specific regions.

We don't have too many of these in Ireland - think Dublin coddle or the Waterford blaa - but one that has gone from Leitrim to all over the world is boxty.

Boxty, a traditional Irish potato pancake, is one food that often reminds people of days with their grandparents or breakfast with their cousins. Or evokes childhood memories, if you're from the northwest, where it's a proud local dish.