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An Official Scent?
iStockPhoto/Getty Images (peppers); Shutterstock.com (sign)
Most states have official symbols such as state animals, flowers, and trees—but New Mexico is poised become the first to have a state aroma as well. In March, the state’s legislature passed a bill that would designate the smell of roasting green chile peppers as the official state scent, in honor of the spicy fruit for which New Mexico is famous. In 2021, the state produced more than 60 percent of the U.S. chile pepper crop, and it’s also home to Hatch, an agricultural village known as the “chile capital of the world.” The bill—which was awaiting the governor’s signature at press time—could potentially boost tourism, according to a legislative analysis. And, as an added benefit, it’s also letting residents express their love for the ubiquitous food. As Travis Day, executive director of the New Mexico Chile Association, told the Associated Press, “Chile is in the hearts and on the plates of all New Mexicans, and the smell of fresh roasting green chile allows us to reminisce on a memory [of] eating or enjoying our beloved signature crop.”