Don't judge a book by its cover, they say. This unassuming little fruit, a guava, which I picked up out of curiosity at a Walmart, of all places, has a beguiling, strong, and very particular scent.
Scent adds so much depth and pleasure to an experience. In this case, the clamshell with eight or so small guavas scented our entire kitchen for a few days, and later on the compost pail from the cut-off top bits. I have seen the scent described as musky, which is perhaps why I found it quite addicting. But I also found it very florally perfumy.
Our sense of taste is informed by our sense of smell, hence you can't taste when you have a cold. But because we are so visual we often give what we see more importance than the messages of our other senses. But the sight of these guavas is not exactly special. It is the scent that is so attractive, and it is what made me wonder what they actually taste like. I did remember having eating guava paste, but that is a sorry and sweet treat lacking the lovely brightness of a fresh perfumy guava.
Realtors talk about the power of the smell of fresh baked apple pie in closing a house sale, and specific scents can bring memories back in a powerful way. Smells or scents add so much to our aliveness, to the depth of how we know the world.