Our sense of smell is one of the more primitive of our senses, and the very primitive parts of our brains are attached to the olfactory system. (Henkin, 2014) So, basically, when we smell things these scents first have to pass through the limbic system. Our sense of smell isn't like that of our sight or our hearing, those senses go through parts of the brain that are more on the analytical side of things, whereas our sense of smell actually goes through the olfaction part of our brain that is more emotional, or emotive if you will. (Biswas, 2014) After it goes through this part of the brain, it then heads to the analytical part of our brain, thus making it possible for us to distinguish between the scent and our memory of the scent.
I find it very interesting to know that a simple smell can actually trigger emotions in people, whether they are good emotions or not so good emotions; and this usually happens long before we even know where the scent it coming from or even what the scent is. Granted the scents we encounter on a daily basis can make us feel a number of ways, but when it comes to food, there is typically nothing that can go wrong; especially when making a meal that will appeal to all of the senses. (Henkin, 2014) When it comes to making a meal that is savory and has all of the right flavors, one needs to pay attention to many different details; appearance, texture, smell, and taste. It is necessary to pay attention to these details if you want your meal to taste its best. As said previously, if the food doesn't smell very good, there is a good chance that it won't taste very good either. But I think the other aspects play a part in making a meal taste good as well, the texture and appearance have a lot to do with whether or not someone even wants to eat the meal.
When it comes to making sure a meal tastes the best that it possibly can, smell is essential. Perhaps it is a meal of a roast slow cooked in the oven, trimmed with potatoes, carrots, green beans, and gravy.
