Smelling memories

Smells are linked strongly to memory. This is a due to the fact that, when the brain processes scents, they "pass" through our memory and emotion sections.

 

                           

• "Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines, hidden under the weedy mass of many years and experiences.” — Diane Ackerman

 

So, the sense of smell works best when the reader has a memory of it. If you have a novel, unfamiliar scent, a great way to describe it is with similes and comparisons, or by describing the emotion that the smell activates.