According to an old episode of M*A*S*H, smell is one of the biggest triggers of memory that we have. And food smells can take us back to special moments in our lives. Of course, sometimes food just "smells good" and we like it, with nothing deeper attached to it. Here are my 8 favorite food smells. What are yours?1. Chocolate chip cookies: Mmmmmmm...I would assume that this is on almost everyone's list. Unless you don't like chocolate, which means it would be hard for me to talk to you. Also includes other types of chocolate and hot cocoa.
2. Apples: My favorite season is fall, and fall to me means apples. I love that crisp, clean smell. In fact, I love the smell of all things apple: apples, apple pie, dishwashing liquid that smells like apples, even the smell of Apple computers.
3. Tomato sauce: I come from an Italian family, so this is big for me, whether it's in pasta or on pizza.
4. Oranges/Citrus: I used to devour Sunkist oranges when I was a kid. Oddly, I don't eat as many oranges or drink as much orange juice as I used to, though the cologne I use has a very strong orangy-citrus scent.
5. Bananas: Banana bread more than bananas, for some reason.
6. Parmesan and Romano cheeses: See #3.
7. Rosemary: This is the secret ingredient in so many different types of foods.
8. Bacon: No explanation necessary.
7-19-2006 @1:51PM Jen said... My most favorite food smell in the world, hands down, is the heavenly aroma of my mother's pumpkin bread fresh out of the oven. If I could bottle that scent I would never be sad or stressed out.
You're right on with the chocolate chip cookies, rosemary, and bacon. I would say pizza is high on my list, but it probably just combines your tomato sauce and cheese.
Coffee is on my list too. The last two places on my list probably belong to lemon and barbeque sauce.
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7-19-2006 @2:02PM sara jane said... i would have to add to the list:
1) fresh bread baking in the oven
2) although it is not really food, but related to food - i LOVE the smell of tomato plants as i am watering them on a hot sunny morning.
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7-19-2006 @2:08PM Jessica said... buttercup squash, sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg, roasting in the oven... mmmmmmmmmmm
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7-19-2006 @2:18PM Chrissy said... For me, it must be my Mom's macaroni and cheese casserole, fresh from the oven. I can smell the cooked pasta and the gooey (1 lb+ of) cheese. Also, fresh pumpkin pie and fresh, cloudy apple cider.
Funny how all of these are fall smells.
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7-19-2006 @3:13PM mshastid said... 1. Bacon. although not the best smell on my list, it holds the most memories after waking up so many times in my life to this smell.
2. Ginger. thai foods involving lots of fresh ginger were staples in my house while growing up.
3. mango. by far my favorite fruit (i still call it a pineapple-peach hybrid) and one i ate regularly off trees in tahiti. (has anybody else had/does anybody else like pickled unripe mango?)
4. orange/citrus. great smell, except i do eat lots of oranges and drink lots of OJ. as for memories? half-time at middle school soccer games.
5. sea salt. what can i say i've spent alot of my life by the beach and that salty scented breeze gets me every time.
6. BASIL! Homegrown of course, and preferably smelled whilst preparing either pesto or a tomato mozzarella salad.
7. Hot Chocolate (ovaltine?) - fond memories of winter nights by the fireplace and in france and tahiti it was hot chocolate and a french baguette w/ butter/peanut butter to dip. mmmm.
8. apple pie - moms specialty and always a welcome scent to come home to
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7-19-2006 @3:23PM Kate said... 1. Baking Bread
2. Salty Sea air (ok, it's not a food, but close enough)
3. Coffee
4. Another poster nailed it -- that pungent "still in the earth" smell of a warm tomato plant
5. Baking casseroles of most forms, lasagne mostly
6. Pancakes on a grill
7. Bacon, but only in a restaurant
8. The smell of the wood chips or charcoal in your grill outside
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7-19-2006 @4:31PM Maggie said... Chrissy, I don't think it's funny that your smells are all from fall; it's my favorite season, foodwise and all! However, the smell of fresh strawberries or peaches is one of my favorite things about summer. I also love the smell of roasted garlic.
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7-19-2006 @5:56PM Camille Bauman said... Oh, no...nobody mentioned the Thanksgiving turkey aroma filling the air with mouth-watering memories.
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7-19-2006 @8:29PM Mitchell Taylor said... The smell of my girlfriend all dolled up is the best smell yet.
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7-19-2006 @8:32PM Ben said... A freshly-sliced maui onion on a hot grill. There is no finer food scent, hands down.
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7-19-2006 @8:34PM Jennifer said... The best for me is vanilla. Also, cookie dough (especially the butter/sugar phase), graham cracker crusts, yeast breads, and garlic.
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7-19-2006 @10:16PM Warzy said... Good parmesan - I can understand. However once I read somewhere that the crappy grated (kraft) parmesan is made with the same type of acid that is found in the stomach... the reason why I never liked it became abundantly clear. "Fake" processed parmesan smells like vomit to me. I have never understood how anyone can eat it. Has anyone else ever heard the same thing?
Don't worry - I still love real parmesan.
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7-20-2006 @12:55AM Nicole Fitzhugh said... Warzy-- doesn't sound super weird to me, because canned soup smells like rotten meat to me. And even if it's vegetable. Go figure. As far as heavenly smells, grilled meat, and roasting chickens. Can't beat that Roli Roti truck.
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7-20-2006 @9:51AM Alice said... The smell of palmolive dish soap.
This odor brings me back to the kitchen of my youth. My mom did the dishes with this soap. When I smell palmolive, its like being 5 all over again. because of this, I too use this dish soap.
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7-20-2006 @12:20PM Sunny said... Cinnamon, Toast, and Coffee....mmhmmm
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7-20-2006 @2:20PM Beth said... My mother has her own baking business, so those smells always remind me of her... waking up the smell of fresh muffins or sticky buns. Also, I know it's not food, but the smell of Murphy's Oil Soap always reminds me of spring and clean!
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7-20-2006 @2:47PM Neil Henry said... How about garlic & shallots simmering in a wok. -- the blank slate for some Thai curry or noodle dish.
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7-21-2006 @11:10AM colliegirl said... for the record -- the show MASH had lots of great ideas -- but they took this one from Marcel Proust and his novel Remembrance of Things Past. it was the smell of a teacake called a madeline that unlocked memories for him.
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7-23-2006 @4:31PM thejanius said... the smell of BBQ always reminds me of the summer and the smell of a fireplace, reminds me of winter...
and there is a distinct smell between nyc and sf...if you've lived in both coasts, youll know what i'm talking about...
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10-07-2006 @1:00PM cars expert said... I have to say I love to eat apples and banana
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