Smells are very personal. A scent can trigger a memory, strike an emotion or even a certain taste. Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by a lingering scent (attractive or otherwise) that caused your brain to draw up some sort of recollection?
The last time this happened to me was in the late weeks of October, when the smell of mud I encountered at Chadwick Lakes while on a Sunday walk instantly took me back to my childhood - to the smell of Sunday walks back then. This earthy smell made me think of the days where dirtying your new shoes didn’t matter, slipping in a puddle was fun and hunting for frogs was the goal of the afternoon.
There are many other smells that are synonymous with autumn. Below are a few of my favourites.
Cinnamon
This could be an all-year-round smell for me. The smell of cinnamon simply reminds me of baked goods, richly infused with the robust brown dust that packs in so much flavour. Used in both savoury and sweet dishes, cinnamon sometimes carries a spicy tang for some, while others are too consumed by its sweet connotations to recognise the spice as, well, spicy.
Soup
This may not be the greatest smell early in the morning, but often emerges out of the homes of quite a few village housewives who eagerly head to the kitchen early to get their daily tasks out of the way - eons before you’ve even had your first coffee. Soups smell homely... like warmth and family. Seasoning soups with generous amounts of onion, garlic, herbs and spices can give your bubbling pot a super flavour punch.
Pie
Not now, not ever will a pie be pushed aside - be it day or night, all pies are welcome here. The pastry - watch as it browns and gently lifts off the edges of the dish. The filling - watch it bubble to the surface and ooze out of the crusts as it bakes. A flaky exterior juxtaposed with a creamy interior is what makes any pie stand out. Head to the kitchen and bake a pie… you know you’re dying to.
Rain
Rain has quite a peculiar smell. It sometimes smells like dust, as it lifts the summer’s dirt from the streets, but once the rain settles and the downpour increases slightly, the smell of rain is magical. If you’ve ever travelled outside Malta to a rainier country, this smell probably reminds you of your days in the countryside while voyaging through that foreign land. In Malta, it happens now and then, and we love it when it does.
Burning wood
Even though most Maltese houses can battle the weather with nothing more than a blanket and gas heater, some homes are equipped with a wood burning fireplace or stove - and boy do they smell good. The burning wood gives off a campfire feeling where marshmallows and campfire songs should be enjoyed. But while the logs crackle in your living room, as the heat rises and the woody fragrance reaches your nose; the feeling of autumn settles.