why?

July 18, 2022 9:26 PM

Why do cooked nettles/lentils smell so very similar to earl grey tea?

I am hoping someone can ID the constituents that they have in common or something

- If I had to pick, it would be the nettles smelling like the earl grey.
- The lentils are green lentils.
- Please assume this is not about me or my sense of smell.

Fortunately, I'm really enjoying caffeine-free earl grey flavored lentils, no worries there. Just curious since the smell is sooo similar to me.

posted by aniola to Science & Nature (2 answers total)

Bergamot and nettle are often used together in things like soaps and candles. Is it possible that you're familiar with the scent of one of those products, and you're mentally linking them together as a single smell?
posted by pipeski at 3:51 AM on July 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Interesting! Possible, but unlikely.

I've been aware of nettles since I was quite small, and have been reading ingredients lists since I was old enough to read. I suppose I could have smelled it on someone else.

What I think is more likely is that they're in some sort of similar scent category.
posted by aniola at 8:38 AM on July 19, 2022