Love is in the air – John Paul Young
Welcome back everyone, today I want to talk to you about the secret power of scent, spices, and a cookie-fueled trip down memory lane
You know how some people say love at first sight is a thing? Well, for me, it’s more like love at first sniff. Why do smells trigger memories is something I asked myself and promised to find out. So. let’s go.
Let me explain
There’s this strange, wonderful phenomenon where certain smells, especially from food, can instantly teleport you back in time. I’m talking full-sensory flashbacks, like a Pixar movie montage playing out in your brain. No DeLorean, no time machine required. Just a whiff of cinnamon, and boom, I’m ten years old again, standing barefoot in our kitchen, watching my mom bake apple pie from scratch.
Not just any apple pie, mind you. This was The Birthday Pie, capital letters very much intended. The apples came straight from our garden (one of them suspiciously always had a bite mark from me “testing ripeness”). The crust was flaky perfection. And the spice mix? A warm, fragrant blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and probably some secret ingredient she never told me about. The moment that pie hit the oven and the scent started filling the house, it felt like magic. Love, joy, and just a bit of childhood mischief, all baked in.
To this day, every time I smell cinnamon in a bakery, in a chai latte, even in a scented candle aisle, it’s like my brain hits play on a very specific memory reel: birthdays, family laughter, and way too much whipped cream.
Another time machine for me? Cookies.
I grew up near a cookie factory (yes, it was as amazing as it sounds). On certain days, if the wind was just right, the smell of freshly baked cookies would drift through the neighborhood like some kind of Willy Wonka-level street perfume. Chocolate chip. Butter vanilla. Oatmeal raisin (less exciting, but still good). It was the kind of smell that made you forget whatever you were doing and just inhale like your life depended on it.
Nowadays, when I bake cookies in my own kitchen, that same comforting wave of scent hits me. And suddenly I’m back in my old neighborhood, riding my bike, cookie-scented wind in my face, not a care in the world. It’s wild how powerful a smell can be.
Why Do Smells Trigger Memories?
Well, here’s where I put on my slightly nerdy food hat (yes, it’s spice-scented). Smell and memory are closely linked in the brain. The olfactory bulb, which processes scents, has a direct line to the amygdala and hippocampus, the parts responsible for emotions and memories. That’s why certain smells can feel emotional. They bypass the logic center and go straight to the feels.
And when it comes to food, scent is everything. Up to 80% of what we perceive as taste is actually smell. That’s why when you have a cold, your favorite dish suddenly tastes… meh. The right aroma can make your mouth water before you’ve even seen the plate. Spices, herbs, fresh baking, they build anticipation and heighten flavor. It’s culinary foreplay. (Yep, I said it😝.) And now you know why do smell trigger memories you didn’t know you had.
Of course, not everyone has the same scent-triggered memories. Our personal food history, culture, and upbringing shape the smells that comfort us or make us nostalgic. For you, it might be your grandmother’s Sunday stew, the smoky scent of a holiday BBQ, or the unmistakable combo of garlic and onions sizzling in olive oil (aka the unofficial scent of every Mediterranean kitchen).
So let me ask you this:
Is it something from your childhood? A festive family meal? A dish your (grand)mother used to make? Maybe the scent of something cooking that meant home?
Let me know. I’d love to hear what stirs your soul or at least your appetite.
Because in the end, love really IS in the air. Sometimes it just smells like cinnamon and cookies.
Until next time,
Yohan
