A gentle reader–let’s call him Spicy and Sociable–wonders:

Does cumin smell? Specifically, does cumin smell like really bad body odor? I ask because we spilled some in one of our kitchen drawers a couple of weeks ago, and now every time I open that drawer I reflexively sniff my armpit. Am I crazy?. . . And if I eat lots of food with cumin in it, will I smell terrible?

Hm. I have had someone say, “Ugh, you positively reek of curry.” Which could be related to the cumin in the curry. Or is S&S having one of those weird synesthesic breaks that I think is a precursor to a full schizophrenic freakout? Or am I making crap up because I’m too lazy to look up how to spell the word synesthesic, and whether it has anything to do with overall mental health?

Has anyone else experienced this scent association? Been caught sniffing the corners of the spice cabinet? Been reviled by non-cumin-eaters? Tell all…