Proust in Transylvania: Smell and Memory in Romania
Proust in Transylvania: Smell and Memory in Romania

Summary/Abstract: The above lines are childhood memories described by participants in an interactive psychological experiment in response to the smell of "cârnați", which are traditional Romanian sausages made with pork or mutton, chilli peppers and garlic. What is striking are the smell’s associations with family and grandparents – and especially the grandmother. Indeed, for other smells that were tested, including "țuică" (Romanian plum brandy) and "brânză de burduf" (a salty Romanian cheese made from sheep milk) what was striking was the consistent connection to family – and in the case of "cârnați" a link with Christmas celebrations.

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