Maple syrup mystery smell

From 2005 to 2009, residents of New York City sporadically detected a mysterious sweet smell likened to maple syrup in the air, which was subsequently reported on by local blogs as well as The New York Times.^[1] The source was eventually found to be a Frutarom Industries Ltd. factory in neighboring New Jersey, which was processing fenugreek seeds, commonly used in maple syrup substitutes. The incidents were alluded to in a 2007 episode of the television show 30 Rock titled "Somebody to Love".

History

The smell was first reported on by the blog Gothamist in the fall of 2005^[2][3] and continued sporadically into early 2009.^[1]

Some New Yorkers feared the sweet smell was a form of chemical warfare. The scent was eventually traced to its source, a Frutarom Industries Ltd. factory in northern New Jersey, which was processing fenugreek seeds, commonly used in maple syrup substitutes. This source was traced through a collaborative process between the citizens of New York City, the city's 311 system, the New York City Office of Emergency Management, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and a working group which gathered and analyzed atmospheric data.^[4]

Popular culture

The incidents were alluded to without name in a 30 Rock Season 2, Episode 6 ("Somebody to Love"), which aired on November 15, 2007.^[5] The episode begins with multiple characters (Liz, Tracy and Jack) smelling maple syrup. Jack Donaghy likens the smell to a chemical weapon called "Northrax" that the US supposedly sold to the Saudis in the 1980s, which smells just like maple syrup. This leads into the episode's main plot, in which Liz suspects a new Middle Eastern neighbor (Fred Armisen) is a terrorist.^{[non-primary source needed]}

References

1. Johnson, Steven (November 1, 2010). "What a Hundred Million Calls to 311 Reveal About New York". Wired. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
2. Lee, Trymaine (January 6, 2009). "Mysterious Sweet Smell From 2005 Returns to Manhattan". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
3. Dobkin, Jacob (October 28, 2005). "Maple Sugar Smell Mystery!". Gothamist. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
4. Chung, Jen (February 5, 2019). "Happy 10-Year Anniversary Of NYC Finding The Alleged Source Of The Mysterious Maple Syrup Smell". Gothamist. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
5. Chung, Jen (November 16, 2007). "As Seen on TV: The Maple Syrup Smell on 30 Rock". Gothamist. Retrieved December 6, 2023.

Further reading

• Barbaro, Michael; Schweber, Nate (February 6, 2009). "Aromatic Mystery in New York City Is Solved". The New York Times.
• Coscarelli, Joe (September 18, 2013). "The Amazing Maple Syrup Smell Strikes Back in NYC". Intelligencer. New York.
• Horn, Jason (October 12, 2020). "Sotolon: The Molecule That Smells Like Pancakes, Fall, and a NYC Mystery". Serious Eats.
• Lindeman, Scarlett (June 14, 2010). "The Mystery of the Maple Syrup Smell". The Atlantic.
• Matson, John (February 5, 2009). "Mystery of NYC maple syrup smell solved!". News Blog. Scientific American.