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Is The Maple Syrup Smell Back Or Are You Going Crazy?
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 27, 2012
Modified Feb 27, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 27, 2012
Modified Feb 27, 2012
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Is it January 2009 (or October 2005, March 2006, November 2006, November 2007, or May 2008) again, or are you just hallucinating? Or is the air just pre-gaming for tomorrow's National Pancake Day? We received two independent scentings of maple syrup—one on the Upper West Side and one in New Jersey—so we put on our deerstalker hat to investigate.
Our Upper West Side tipster says the maple syrup smell was apparent at 7:40 p.m. at West End Avenue and 85th Street (he did not smell it at 10 p.m.). Our Garden State tipster says the maple syrup smell hit him in the 9 p.m. hour in Jersey City. Further, around 10:30 p.m., someone Tweeted from Jersey City, "Oh my god it reeks of maple syrup! (@ Van Vorst Park)"
View Maple Syrup Smells, February 2012 in a larger map
When Mayor Bloomberg claimed that the city solved the maple syrup smell mystery in 2009, officials said that a factory in northern New Jersey, Frutarom, was responsible. After the "J'accuse," Frutarom, which processes fenugreek seeds for additives, claimed it was surprised it was the smelly culprit and other NJ officials were skeptical about being the one who dealt it.
The NYC Office of Emergency Management and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection say that no calls about a maple syrup-like smell were received yesterday or today. We contacted Frutarom, which says they were not operating yesterday. So there are a couple of theories:
1) The wind picked up leftover fenugreek smell from Frutarom.
2) It's Northrax.
3) People in Jersey City and at West End & 85th Street were having breakfast for Oscars dinner.
4) People have been sniffing the new Canadian $100 bills.
5) You are going crazy.
6) It's time to get ready for our pancake-loving overlords.
Tagged
frutarom
jersey city
maple syrup
maple syrup mystery
maple syrup smell
maple syrup smell map
pancakes
Upper West Side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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