# Now I know what cumin smells like.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 27, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522 "2003-11-27T04:01:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/21 "2003-11-28T14:46:33Z")

</div>

I use it too, but it smells like feet to me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/22 "2003-11-28T15:15:13Z")

</div>

I love cumin. I put it in saag.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/23 "2003-11-28T15:32:32Z")

</div>

I love cumin, and it does have kind of a body odor smell to it.

But then again, I like a little body odor. Not unwashed stinky odor, but a good healthy dose of human waftage is nice, IMO:)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/24 "2003-11-28T16:14:15Z")

</div>

Remember Strawberry Shortcake? That line of dolls back in the 80’s that all smelled like a different fruit or spice? Well you might be interested to know that the worst selling doll was, you guessed it, Corroded Christos Cumin.

It probably didn’t matters any that the character was depicted as an unshaven 38-year-old falafel vendor, wearing a sweat stained wifebeater t-shirt and who swore in greek and spat when you pressed his tummy (refills sold separately).

Yep, you’d think they were setting that one up to fail…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/25 "2003-11-28T18:35:46Z")

</div>

Hah! Never thought of it that way. I always described it as “strangely meaty.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/26 "2003-11-28T19:22:39Z")

</div>

(takes jar of cumin from spice rack for smell-test)

“Bolivian unicyclist’s jockstrap.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/27 "2003-11-29T00:35:47Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Chefguy \*  
> \*\*Are you daft? Cumin is terrific and is one of the prime ingredients in Mexican and Indian cooking. I think maybe your smeller is whacked. \*\*

Agreed. I love the smell. In fact I’m going to go visit my spice cabinet for a whiff…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522/28 "2003-11-29T01:26:39Z")

</div>

I have always thought of it as “earthy”.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-what-cumin-smells-like/215522.md?page=1)