"Does this always smell like this," the adventures of Lyn's nose

[aldersprig]

For most of my life, I've had a relatively stunted sense of smell. I can get very strong odors, some very pungent ones, and a few random smells, but for the most part, I didn't smell stuff. It just didn't happen.

I recently (last year) started going to a new doctor, and she prescribed an over-the-counter supplement - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercetin - for my asthma/allergies, hoping to eliminate Singulair.

And I can smell!

I mean, things I've never smelled at all before suddenly have nosefeels. It's very strange - although it makes for some odd conversations.

"Do mushrooms always smell like this?"

"Does Spinach always smell like this? It smells like bad fresh-cut grass!"

and so on.

Appears yes, spinach always does smell like that. And, go figure, shit actually does stink.

Comments

[clare_dragonfly]

Haha, that's awesome! I totally understand. I can only smell sometimes, and usually it's only strong smells that get through my nose... but then occasionally I'll be able to smell something (usually something that came out of a cat) before anyone else in my family can, and then there's the weirdest thing: something smelling like something else. I have more than once found cat food smelling like chocolate.

Have you smelled raw cashews? I've discovered recently that they smell like rotting seafood. At least to me.

[aldersprig]

I have never smelled rotting seafood, either!

But I'll see if I can find raw cashews to stick my nose in.

Spinach was a really weird one. It smells /so different/ than it tastes.

[clare_dragonfly]

I was just so surprised at how gross the cashews smelled. I have to avoid smelling them when I put them in the jar now, or else I won't want to eat them (I only like them cooked anyway).

I can't recall ever having smelled spinach. I'm going to have to stick it in my face sometime. The description kind of sounds like the smell of quinoa, though...

[aldersprig]

Hrrm, now I need to make and smell quinoa. I was in the middle of snipping up baby spinach for dinner.

[clare_dragonfly]

Quinoa and spinach go well together! :D Actually, I should specify that it's uncooked quinoa that smells grassy. Cooked quinoa just... smells like quinoa.

[aldersprig]

oh, well, that's easier to just smell then ;-D

[ranunculus]

Make sure that you know what ***really*** fresh spinich smells like. There is some mold or bacteria that makes even nice farmers market produce smell to me. Garden grown or sometimes commercial product smells quite different.

[aldersprig]

Ooh, maybe I should try (again) to grow my own...