I have a cold, and in a minute foods next to vinegar smell revolting. Why?
I recently had a cold and now whenever I smell hot sauce and honey mustard, it smells exceptionally caustic and like there is some horrible chemical instead of basically the normal honey mustard scent or hot sauce scent. I used Vicks tissues when I had a cold, but I don't know if that's what caused this problem. Does anyone know whats wrong?
Answers: A lot of what one call 'taste' comes from smell. If you've had a cold then your nasal passages will be sensitive, especially if you enjoy used Vicks. Vinegars and mustards are highly aromatic (to wit, they pong strongly) and the acidity within these products will stir up the sensitive nasal passage.
If you wish to learn more, get a copy of McGee "On Food and Cooking" from the library.