RARELY do we go rummaging through our brain’s olfactory files for reminders of an impressive vacation. But this is a great time to give a workout to what chef Marcus Samuelsson calls our “smell muscle,” using our sense of smell to experience more of the world. You’re sure to get your heart pumping.
Emerging from the cocoon we were unceremoniously stuffed into a year ago, many of us are starting to dream of returning to a favorite place—a beloved getaway spot that has been frustratingly off-limits for the past 14 months. While photos or particularly vivid TV shows might conjure the image of those out-of-reach destinations, they can’t reproduce the feeling of being there. “When we smell things we are directly experiencing little bits of that place, the materials that make up that place,” said author Harold McGee, whose most recent book, “Nose Dive: A Field Guide To The World’s Smells,” came out in the fall. The aroma of the place is perhaps the only experience we can’t transport as a souvenir.
