the sense of smell does far more than provide
information about a mouthful of food. Smell
detects whatever volatile molecules are in the
air. It therefore tells an animal about its
surroundings: the air, the ground, the plants
growing in the ground, other animals moving
nearby that might be enemies, mates, or a
meal. This more general role explains why
we’re sensitive to aroma notes in foods that
are reminiscent of the world: wood, stone,
soil, air, animals, flowers, dry grass, the
seacoast and the forest. It’s also essential for
animals to learn from experience, and
therefore to associate particular sensations
with the situations they accompany. This may
be why odors are so evocative of memories
and the emotions associated with them.
The Variety of Gathered Foods, the
Monotony of Agriculture Our earliest human
ancestors were omnivores: they ate whatever
they could find worth eating on the African