Eli5: Why does cold food not emitt any powerful scent?
In: Biology
Most of what we smell are VOCs – volatile organic compounds. They are various compounds that dissolve in air and we can smell them if the concentration is high enough. Most of the VOCs that make up food smells dissolve into air much better when they are hot. When cold they mostly stay where they are at as opposed to dissolving into the air and floating into our noses.
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