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What is that smell after rain?

What is that smell after rain?

I love that smell, don’t you?

 

But did you know it has a name?

 

And that name is Petrichor.

 

I have memories of that smell right back from my childhood and was always fascinated by this pungent, yet sweet aroma that would fill the air once it rained after a long hot spell. I have been thinking that this early recollection maybe part of the reason that started my lifelong fascination with aromas?

 

So where does the name Petrichor come from?

 

It is made up of two words combined. The Greek word petros, for stone, and ichor which means ‘fluid that flows in the veins of the Greek Gods of Mythology’ It was first used in 1964 by researchers Isabell J Bear, an Australian chemist, and her colleague, Richard G Thomas, an Australian mineralogist, and biochemist who discovered how and why the smell was released.

 

The aroma is a combination of some fifty or so aromatic chemicals stored in the plants that are dormant in the earth, paving stones, pathways etc. During a dry spell plants secrete an oil that informs the roots to lay dormant. The rain releases that into the air ready for us to inhale! Aaaah!

 

The smells that we like and associate with have always fascinated me, my favourite aroma may not be yours…. Smells are so intrinsically linked to memory. Something form our childhood or the place we first lived; a piece of clothing, someone baking, plants in your garden, it could be anything and instantly it will transport you to that time. What a truly magnificent thing!

 

Don’t underestimate the power of smell, you can read all about how powerful and important it is in my recent blog , The Importance of Smell

 

Aromatic molecules have physical and emotional consequences, they talk to us, inform us, guide us and they boost our well-being.

 

Using aromas to enhance your life is a wonderful thing!

 

If it’s raining now, go outside and see if you can smell petrichor.