What smells remind us of home

Published on RMIT Catalyst: Home (2019)

Whether it is a smell of a perfume or cologne a family member wore or coming home to smelling your favourite food being cooked, we all have a smell which reminds us of home. I have always wondered why everyone has a smell which connects them to a memory.

After researching on why we all have a smell connected to a memory, I found out it is called the ‘Proust effect’. It is when someone remembers a memory through ‘sensory stimuli’ which comes from our different senses, which in this case is smell (Campen, 2014).

For me oddly enough, the smell of gunpowder reminds me of home in Darwin. The memory held with the smell is from Territory Day when we could light our own fireworks on 1 July. The constant smell of gunpowder from 7pm – 11pm on the one night filled my nose. Though, it sometimes smelt similar to rotten eggs. It wasn’t always a pleasant smell.

A few students have shared their smells which remind them of home and a memory connecting them to the smell. I received different responses, some I expected and others not as much.

Cori, 22, on what smell reminds her of home, she said, “it’ll definitely be the smell of garlic because we’re an Italian Greek family. It is just part of the cooking process.” It reminds her of a memory she always had growing up, “I would come home at nighttime and there’d be pasta, obviously.”

Olivia, 21, said, “every time I go to Fiji I get attacked by mosquitoes. My Grandmother would always light the mosquito coils up before I go to sleep next to me. It’s not the greatest smell, it’s very burnt and smokey. [The smell] would stay in your hair and the sheets. It’s such a sweet thing she’d always do.”

Gemma, 19, said, “a smell which reminds me of home is hot canola oil on an electric frying pan and chicken. When I was younger, my brother and I used to go stay at my grandparents’ house a lot. One night we were sleeping over and I remember walking towards the kitchen, my Nana was standing in the corner over an electric frying pan and she was in a green jumper and she had crumbed chicken breast. It is such a strong smell. Anytime I cook with any oil now, it takes me straight back to being eight and my Nana.”

Van-Anh, 20, said, “since my parents are Buddhists, they always burn Buddhist incense. Buddhist incenses aren’t like other incenses. I don’t know how to describe the smell, but it’s neither bad nor good. However, I like it. It relaxes me.” He remembers the smell as, “the days my parents, sister and I would go to temples. We haven’t gone to one in years.”

Lydia, 20, said, “the smell after it rains which is called petrichor. The smell of nature, the smell of the season, the smell of wet streets, the smell of breeze.” She imagines petrichor to be, “when you’re at the beach and it’s a bit cloudy and windy,” but struggles to describe it, “I think it’s a combination of many things.” She instantly is reminded of her home country when asked about a significant memory, “it takes me through a memory lane and plants a seed of nostalgia in my heart. And every time I breathe that smell, it waters the seed. The smell makes me feel hopeful, as weird as it may sound. Maybe because it’s the calm after the storm?”