Those hippies and their biological cologne...
January 7, 2010 10:14 AM Subscribe
Fenugreek makes you smell like maple syrup. What X's make you smell like Y?
So, a while ago I accidentally discovered that fenugreek makes my sweat smell like maple syrup. A slight googling bore this out. It's pleasant.
So what else does this? I'm especially interested in things that make you smell good, though I am generally interested in the phenomenon.
Unrelated to the discussion here.
So, a while ago I accidentally discovered that fenugreek makes my sweat smell like maple syrup. A slight googling bore this out. It's pleasant.
So what else does this? I'm especially interested in things that make you smell good, though I am generally interested in the phenomenon.
Unrelated to the discussion here.
Garlic, curry, & cumin make your sweat smell (arguably unpleasant). Asparagus does it to your urine and ejaculate (so I'm told).
posted by djb at 10:23 AM on January 7, 2010
posted by djb at 10:23 AM on January 7, 2010
Asparagus makes your urine smell, like, well, asparagus pee.
posted by jckll at 10:43 AM on January 7, 2010
posted by jckll at 10:43 AM on January 7, 2010
Response by poster: Hmm... Limit to food? Not really. I'm interested in what you've got in mind anyway.
I mean, cologne or scented soap doesn't count, but, I dunno, a kind of sit-up that makes you smell like peppermint would.
posted by cmoj at 11:02 AM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I mean, cologne or scented soap doesn't count, but, I dunno, a kind of sit-up that makes you smell like peppermint would.
posted by cmoj at 11:02 AM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I knew this dude that ate almost exclusively burritos (the cheap freezer kind). He smelled like burritos. Really he smelled like burritos ALL THE TIME.
posted by Sassyfras at 11:20 AM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Sassyfras at 11:20 AM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm interested in what you've got in mind anyway.
Nothing in particular. I just noticed that you probably wouldn't be interested to have it pointd out that perfume and cologne make people smell different, cigarettes make people smell smokey, etc. I assumed you were thinking of some limitation that you didn't specify, so I was just trying to help make the question clearer.
posted by Jaltcoh at 11:29 AM on January 7, 2010
Nothing in particular. I just noticed that you probably wouldn't be interested to have it pointd out that perfume and cologne make people smell different, cigarettes make people smell smokey, etc. I assumed you were thinking of some limitation that you didn't specify, so I was just trying to help make the question clearer.
posted by Jaltcoh at 11:29 AM on January 7, 2010
Okay, if you are not limiting it to food (or pleasant smells), diabetic patients may smell like acetone because of insulin that they take. Some other medicines cause BO.
posted by soelo at 11:37 AM on January 7, 2010
posted by soelo at 11:37 AM on January 7, 2010
This is a very localized reference, but Cozy Inn Hamburgers make you (and your clothes, and your car) smell like rancid body odor, sometimes for days afterward. People love them anyway.
When I was little, the urban legend was that the reason for the smell is because the cooks warm the buns by holding them under their armpits.
posted by amyms at 11:37 AM on January 7, 2010
When I was little, the urban legend was that the reason for the smell is because the cooks warm the buns by holding them under their armpits.
posted by amyms at 11:37 AM on January 7, 2010
I've heard people from Western cultures complain that people from Asian cultures reek of garlic. I've also heard people from Asian cultures complain that people from Western cultures reek of dairy.
YMMV.
posted by valkyryn at 11:59 AM on January 7, 2010
YMMV.
posted by valkyryn at 11:59 AM on January 7, 2010
Modalert/Modafinil/Provigil makes your breath and your pee smell sort of like rhubarb.
posted by electroboy at 12:15 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by electroboy at 12:15 PM on January 7, 2010
Applying DMSO to someone's skin makes their breath smell kind of garlicky.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:25 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:25 PM on January 7, 2010
Cardamom eaten in things over a period of time will make one smell "like curry". Characteristic of South Asians and some Middle Eastern cultures, where the stuff is eaten often.
posted by Citrus at 1:11 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by Citrus at 1:11 PM on January 7, 2010
Side note to the asparagus pee issue-- only those with a specific gene can smell the distinct odor of asparagus urine. (sources).
posted by exlotuseater at 3:06 PM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by exlotuseater at 3:06 PM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Certain alcoholics smell like something. I recognize the odor (it's not boozy), but I don't have the neccesary experience to identify it as something else's smell.
posted by Rash at 3:34 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by Rash at 3:34 PM on January 7, 2010
If you are in ketosis and you exercise hard, you smell like ammonia.
posted by smalls at 4:03 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by smalls at 4:03 PM on January 7, 2010
Certain alcoholics smell like something. I recognize the odor (it's not boozy), but I don't have the neccesary experience to identify it as something else's smell.
This true. Both of the heavy drinkers I know smell sweet, but not a good sweet. Like fermenting fruit or bread dough that's going bad.
posted by dogmom at 4:33 PM on January 7, 2010
This true. Both of the heavy drinkers I know smell sweet, but not a good sweet. Like fermenting fruit or bread dough that's going bad.
posted by dogmom at 4:33 PM on January 7, 2010
It is said that in a venerable British men's club there is a sign reading "DURING THE ASPARAGUS SEASON MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES IN THE HATSTAND."
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:13 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:13 PM on January 7, 2010
Like fermenting fruit or bread dough that's going bad.
Yeast?
posted by fermezporte at 5:28 PM on January 7, 2010
Yeast?
posted by fermezporte at 5:28 PM on January 7, 2010
Coffee makes my sweat smell like coffee. I believe this is not true of everyone, though.
posted by crinklebat at 10:05 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by crinklebat at 10:05 PM on January 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by 2003girl at 10:16 AM on January 7, 2010