From a list of ten unique scents, survey respondents from a variety of cultural backgrounds all ranked vanilla the most pleasant, reports Peter Dockrill for Science Alert. Researchers suggest there may be an evolutionary basis for the universal aroma preference.
Participants were asked to sniff vials containing ten scents, presented in random order. Then, they were asked to rank each vial from most pleasant to least pleasant. Scent vials were transported to isolated regions by field scientists so that the team could get data from those with little to no prior exposure to Western smells, per the Telegraph.
The team found the smell ranked the most pleasant was vanillin, the main component in vanilla extract. The following preferred scent was ethyl butyrate, a fruity, pineapple-like odor. The chemical compound Linalool‘s floral and spicy scent—found in over 200 plants including lavender—ranked third.
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These cross-cultural preferences for certain scents could have roots in human evolution, which would require additional research to determine. It’s possible knowledge of some scents increased chances of survival at some point in history, a statement explains.
“Now we know that there’s universal odor perception that is driven by molecular structure, and that explains why we like or dislike a certain smell,” [neuroscientist Artin] Arshamian says in a statement.
