Now that the second hottest summer on record has passed, many of us celebrate the return of cooler weather. It’s not just the brisk nights, bright blue skies and trees putting on their autumnal displays. What’s that smell in the air? Living creatures can actually smell the change in seasons. Each season has its own unique aromas, but as the season of fading light hints at the coming of winter just months away, what you smell in the air plays a huge role in how you respond emotionally, physically and romantically.
Squirrels and other small mammals begin caching food in earnest. Birds become more active at our backyard feeders, and some species take wing and head to warmer climes. Leaves begin to die. Although we often romanticize about the colorful displays, the trees are preparing for winter’s long sleep.
Throughout the spring and summer, leaves have been providing food through the process of photosynthesis. They provide energy to the trees, but it also takes enormous energy to sustain them. With the lessening of sunlight, the vascular pathways within a tree shut down, robbing the leaves of moisture and nutrients. The leaves begin to die. What we see as a colorful seasonal celebration is actually trees shedding what they no longer need.
As leaves fall, settle and die, they release all sorts of gases through tiny holes called stomata. Some of these gases are common ingredients in the oils that coat the leaves when they are alive. Released as hydrocarbons, on a sunny day we catch whiffs of these oils — pine resin, anise, caramel, florals, and the acrid scent of chlorine. We inhale deeply, and the olfactory association with autumn is suddenly intense.
As fall progresses, the dead vegetation begins to decay, releasing even more emotion-evoking scents. Duff, comprised of leaves, bark, needles, cones, and twigs, becomes the detritus that will feed future generations of trees and plants. This rotted forest litter gives off its own pungent aromas that contributes to the smell of fall. Several organisms feed upon this detritus and thrive during autumn, the most familiar being mushrooms.
Mushrooms grow throughout the year but become most plentiful in fall. Mushroom hunters roam the woods gathering chanterelles, champignons and hen-of-the-wood. These popular fungi have subtle earthy smells. Chanterelles, when fresh, have an apricot scent that some say is unmistakable even to blindfolded collectors. Wild mushrooms give off a pungent essence their domesticated cousins have long since lost to hybridization.
There are other autumnal scents that signal the passage of summer into fall. Since the dawn of time, man and fire have been intrinsically linked. Early man would not have survived without the life-giving warmth of fire. Until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, mankind depended on burning wood to stay warm. It’s only been recently that we are being warned of the health dangers of burning and breathing in wood smoke. For many of us, a pile of raked leaves that gives way to a roaring bonfire remains one of our fondest memories of autumn. Despite the health and environmental issues, a house that smells like wood smoke evokes a primal memory and connection to home.
We stand or sit around a fire, mesmerized by the crackle of wood and glow of embers. We roast our oysters and hotdogs, toast our marshmallows, sip hot chocolate, and bask in its warmth. The smoke permeates our hair, skin, and clothes, settling in like long ago memories. Be it a fire pit, wood stove, campfire, or bonfire, all of human history lies within that fragrance.
Our region is blessed with not only deciduous and pine forests but with rich farmland and bountiful waters. Fall is the return of the “R” months, those months with the letter “R”. For centuries raw oyster lovers have been warned to avoid eating oysters from May through August.
Although today scientists say if you buy oysters grown in healthy waters, they can safely be eaten any time of the year. There’s merit to the old adage that began way back in the 1500s. During summer, unrefrigerated oysters spoil quickly. An analysis of an oyster shell midden off Georgia’s coast reveals that ancient inhabitants limited their oyster harvests to the non-summer months. How do they know this? By measuring the size of ancient parasitic snails.
Oysters have hosted parasitic snails since first appearing in the Triassic period. Because the snail has a predictable 12-month life cycle, its size at death is a reliable estimate of when its host oyster died. To scientists, the snail is a seasonal clock that shows oysters were harvested during our modern “R” months by prehistoric man. Today, autumn’s cooldown heralds the return of the oyster, with its briny, sweet and delicate flavor, to our tables. Whether eaten raw, roasted, or fried, this glistening bivalve is a feast for not just the nose but the eyes and mouth as well.
By August our gardens look tired and worn out by summer heat. Some flowers and crops already lie dormant while others are still going strong, as are their scents. Kitchen herbs like rosemary and sage are pungent with oils, ready to flavor your Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing. Basil and oregano, if allowed to flower, are now astringent and bitter to the taste. Corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, or so the song from Oklahoma goes.
Our region grows both sweet and field corn. Sweet corn is harvested in mid-summer and corn-on-the-cob dripping with butter is a quintessential scent of summer barbecues. In fact, there is a moment in summer in which sweet corn reaches ripe perfection. Beyond that it has lost all its sugary goodness.
The vast majority of the fields in our region grow field corn to feed domestic livestock, turned into oils, or renewable fuel. Ears that remain on the stalks turn brown, becoming dry and crackling with a slightly musty smell. A few stalks, when dried, are destined to become our Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations. In the fields, the skeletal stalks of ears await the combines. By November, corn stubble will be all that remains to be picked over by migrating geese.
Virginia is one of the top producing states for one of America’s favorite fruits, the apple. About 25 varieties are grown in the state and each has its own unique flavor and scent. Most apples require hundreds of hours of chill time to ripen. Tidewater summers are unkind to apples, but regions to our west have warm days, cool nights, and rich soil to produce a bountiful harvest. Our region will swap sweet corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers in exchange for the tangy crispness of an apple come late October and into November.
Apple fragrances have been described in any number of ways: sweet, fruity, waxy, tropical, floral, tart and tangy. The higher the sugar levels in each variety, the sweeter they smell. Fuji, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, Gala, and Red and Golden Delicious are notables. At farmers markets and vegetable stands folks just can’t resist a hearty whiff. Fall is also the perfect time to sample our delectable apple ciders. Cider is the closest thing you can come to eating apples right off the tree. Enjoyed cold or warm, mulled or stirred with a cinnamon stick, cider is a favorite drink around a roaring fire.
For many, Halloween falls second only to Christmas as the favorite holiday of the year. Mix black, orange, and white together, and images of Halloween decorations, candy, and costumes come to mind. Pumpkins originated in North America and evidence of pumpkins dates back 7,000 years.
Pumpkin spice, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin-scented candles and incense, pumpkin pies and essential oils have created what to many is the sexiest scent. Pumpkin pie scent is said to increase desire in both men and women. Researchers cannot explain why the smell of certain foods are turn-ons but may be just a good excuse to consume more pie at your Thanksgiving feast.
Most people associate wool with warm and heavy sweaters, blankets, knitted scarves, socks and mittens. Wool has a pungent smell created by the lanolin within the sheep’s fleece. The richer the lanolin, the stronger the odor. If you don’t like the aroma, don’t buy wool! Wool brings to mind fall hunting trips, camping, long walks in the woods and leaps into enormous piles of raked leaves.
The scents of autumn are magical. Although the season hints of winter waiting just around the corner, fall lingers long enough for us to savor all that it has to offer. Find a hay bale to sit upon, savor the essence of crops and nuts being gathered, herbs drying and oysters dripping briny goodness. Cup your hands around a warm mug of hot chocolate or cider. The scents of autumn are magical. It’s a time of contemplation and reflection. Breathe it in!