What Does California Smell Like to You?

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sequoia trees. Ojai tangerines. Jasmine. Ocean spray. Weed. “Our sense of smell is often overlooked, but it’s the one thing that can bring back memories of a place faster than anything else,” writes Los Angeles Times assistant editor and olfactory artist Maxwell Williams. LA Times readers shared with Williams their most memorable L.A. smells, including the La Brea tar pits, In-N-Out fries and —of course— the beach. And we want to hear from you, wherever you are in the state: What smell reminds you of California? We’ll talk about the unique scents that surround us in the Golden State. Guests: Maxwell Williams, assistant editor of West Coast Experiences, Los Angeles Times Aashish Manglik, associate professor of pharmaceutical chemistry, UCSF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho LaPuerta, a health resort with 85 years of wellness experience, providing summer vacations centered on well-being. Special rates on three-and-four-night August vacations include sunrise hikes, water classes, yoga, and spa therapies, all set in a backdrop of a dreamy summer sky. A six-acre organic garden provides fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
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0:42.8	From KQED.
0:43.8	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Mina Kim. Coming up on forum, we talk about the uniquely
1:05.7	California smells that surround us, redwood trees, oh-high tangerines, ocean spray, and we take a closer look at
1:13.4	their power to unlock memories, as well as some of the latest findings on the science of smell.
1:19.1	So whether it's jasmine or jet fuel, street meat, or sequoias, tell us what one scent always
1:25.7	says California to you.
1:27.9	Forum is next.
1:29.1	After this news.
1:44.0	Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. What smells as California to you? L.A. Times readers shared with assistant editor Maxwell Williams, the smells that say Los Angeles to them, in and out fries, the LaBrea tarpits, the beach. Our sense of smell is often overlooked, says Williams,
2:01.6	but it's the one thing that can bring back memories of a place
2:04.5	faster than anything else.
2:06.5	This hour, we look at why smells are so good at unlocking memories
	...

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