Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Describe What Is A Treat For The Nose But Not The Tongue

People Describe What Is A Treat For The Nose But Not The Tongue
Battlecreek Coffee Roasters/Unsplash

Putting on that pot of coffee in the morning, it smells so good you can almost taste it.

Well, actually, you pretty much can.

Our sense of smell is incredibly important to our sense of taste.

Science World said:

"Our sense of smell in responsible for about 80% of what we taste."
"Without our sense of smell, our sense of taste is limited to only five distinct sensations: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and the newly discovered 'umami' or savory sensation."
"All other flavors that we experience come from smell."

However, sometimes those smells are deceiving. There are certain things that just shouldn't be eaten.


Redditor n0_y0urm0m asked:

"What smells way better than it tastes?"

These Redditors tried these already so you don't have to.

That fresh from the dryer smell.

"Clean laundry."

- Akiram

"Came here to say laundry detergent. I've always wanted to eat the powder kind."

- Betty_Jean

Great for baking but not on its own.

"Vanilla extract."

- Mettabox452

"Because it's mostly grain alcohol with a tiny bit of potent beans."

- sameth1

"However! You may enjoy Vanilla bean paste should you want to taste that smell."

- kaikura89

"Surprised cocoa powder hasn't been mentioned yet."

- SirBroccolingtonIII

"Don't make hot chocolate with cocoa powder. Found that out the hard way as a ten year old... it just tasted like disappointment. Adding vanilla extract doesn't help either."

- 8dogsinatrenchcoat

It's meant to smell good, not taste good.

"Candles. Yankee Candles especially. They smell so tasty."

- thedudeisalwayshere

"For the price they run for, they should be edible."

- /FuzzMcBeefy84

"If they were edible, I'd be on My 600lb Life."

- dodexahedron

Ouch.

"Campfires... tastes like burning."

- rickm3

"What about people who drunk Islay Scotch?"

- SculpinIPAlcoholic

"My husband drinks Lagavulin Scotch. Its tastes like buttery campfire. Awful but damn is it smooth."

- plz2meatyu

"I love Lagavulin but my wife thinks it smells like burnt bandaids. And she's not wrong haha."

- jmaca90

Very unexpected.

"My nose. Ha!"

"In the same way my mouth tastes better than it smells."

- adept_ignoramus

"Unexpected dad jokes are the best kind."

- WickedEng90

"Came here for this. Studied sensory science at uni and man, mouths and noses are wild."

- FriedBeeNuts

There's no reason it shouldn't taste good.

"Chapstick, definitely chap stick."

- Simpl3Nik

"Cherry scented chap stick smells soooo good. Then you put it on and lick your lips… nope, what an awful taste!"

- wickedbunny42

"I don't know why but when I put on scent chap stick, I can taste the flavor even though I cant????????????"

- Brilliant_Surprise_3

We all wanted to know.

"Those scented markers from the late 80s early 90s. They smell great, but I can confirm they taste like sh*t."

- snowf*ckerforreal

"The Mr. Sketch ones?"

- xscumfucx

"Yep, those are the ones. I tasted all of them just to be sure. The lies… they tasted nothing like the fruity deliciousness they're masquerading as lol."

- snowf*ckerforreal

Watch where you're working.

"Petrol."

- Punyeah_

"How do you know it doesn't taste good?"

- asdfoneplusone

"It doesn't. It made my tongue numb. Hard lesson on why you don't lay under the fuel line you're undoing."

- KotexAvenger

It's not like breath spray.

"Perfume."

- Definition_Only

"This brought back memories of the time me and my sister sprayed a sh*t ton of perfume into our mouths because we thought it was essentially the same thing as breath freshening spray."

- DevTheDummy

Maybe you were a curious kid and you tried the markers that smelled good or the bottle of vanilla extract.

It's totally normal.

Our sense of smell is important to our safety and in helping us detect what we can or cannot consume. I guess some of these can be pretty tricky if you don't know any better.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Split screen of a woman with a stern reaction and a man with a shocked expression.
@vanessa_p_44/TikTok

Guy Has Priceless Reaction To Learning His Mom Named Him After 'South Park' Character—And We're Obsessed

When it comes time for parents to name their soon-to-be-born child, they often cast a wide net looking for inspiration.

Many will name their child after a beloved friend or family member, while others might choose a name from a classic film, novel, or television series.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Expertly Trolls Trump Administration With Parody Spirit Halloween Costume Memes

California Governor Gavin Newsom had social media users cackling after he, in a series of photos on X, mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with photoshopped meme versions of Spirit Halloween costumes.

Noem, who has led the nationwide immigration crackdown that continues to tear apart families around the country, is the "Border Barbie" of one meme that pokes fun at her for shooting her dog, her penchant for bringing camera crews wherever she goes, and the way South Park writers lampooned her in one of its most widely-seen episodes this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Ethan Hawke Shares Important Lesson He Learned From Robin Williams On Set Of 'Dead Poets Society'

Actor Ethan Hawke has become a Hollywood legend in his own right, but his career started with being a child actor learning from the greats, like Robin Williams.

The two co-starred in Dead Poets Society, one of the greatest films of the 1980s. It was a breakout role for Hawke and one that solidified Williams as a dramatic actor after a career mostly focused on comedy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of California's statement
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; cdss.ca.gov

Blue States Are Taking A Page Out Of Trump's Playbook With Alerts About SNAP Benefits

President Donald Trump and his administration are facing criticism as blue states post alerts about the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a result of the Trump administration's failure to spend contingency funds to feed people on the program, a decision that is resulting in a nationwide hunger crisis impacting millions of families.

State officials have announced plans to inform visitors that if they’re alarmed by the pause in SNAP benefits beginning November 1 due to the shutdown, they should direct their frustration at the Republican Party.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo of a female hand holding up a pink paper heart that is on fire.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Signs A Relationship Is Over Even If The Couple Hasn't Broken Up Yet

Love is a many-splendored thing... until it's not.

Not all love stories have a happy ending.

Keep ReadingShow less