Vanilla is most people’s favorite scent, study shows

A study published early April in the scientific journal Current Biology shows that vanillinresponsible for its characteristic aroma. vanillaIt is most people’s favorite scent.

The second best would be ethyl butanoate, which is a fruity scent. Pineappleand third, linalool, a common ingredient flower scentsIt is also found in lavender and citrus fruits.

Among the compounds evaluated, the worst odor would be isovaleric acid, with the putrid odor found in foods such as: cheesesoy milk and apple juice, as well as foot sweat.

What explains our sense of smell?

According to the analysis, odor molecule structure is primarily responsible for the pleasantness of a scent (41%). Culture plays a minor role (6%) and there is a worldwide tendency to favor the same flavors.

Personal taste explains 54% of the choices. Artin Arshamian, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, explains that such a preference may be due to learning, but it is also due to our genetic background, increasing the chances of tasting certain scents. overexperience during human evolution.

It’s not a cultural issue

The study aimed to assess whether the perception of smell is something that is culturally learned. cultures around the world classify different scents alike.

Researchers from several countries collaborated on the study, allowing for assessment in a variety of populations and settings, including city dwellers, hunter-gatherer groups, and traditional rural communities.

“We now know that there is a universal sense of smell driven by molecular structure, which explains why we like and dislike a particular scent. The next step is to investigate why this happens, to relate this information to what happens in our brains when we smell a particular scent,” concludes Arshamian.