Officials trace sweet odor that has plagued residents for years to fenugreek and a food processing factory in New Jersey
by Sara Bonisteel
A mysterious maple-syrup odor that has baffled New York City officials for years has been traced to a spice used in Indian cuisine.
New York Maple Syrup Smell
By Sara Bonisteel
For years, New Yorkers have caught the occasional whiff of a sweet odor reminiscent of maple syrup. On Feb. 5, Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- shown here in a file photo -- announced the source of the smell: a food plant in North Bergen, N.J., which processes the spice fenugreek.
Jason DeCrow, AP
Real maple syrup is made from sap collected over the winter that is boiled into syrup.
Fenugreek, a spice used widely in Indian cooking, is the source of the mysterious "maple syrup mist" that has plagued New York City for the last four years. Fenugreek seeds can be used to flavor artificial maple syrup and a plant in New Jersey that processes the spice is believed to be the source of the sweet odor.
Rachel Been, AOL
A view of New Jersey from New York City.
Maple syrup is a favorite on flapjacks, but also on waffles, French toast and as a candy coating to crisp bacon.
Burke/Triolo
"I think it's safe to say that the mystery of the maple syrup mist has finally been solved," Bloomberg said.
Residents of New York have periodically complained about the smell of maple syrup since an October night in 2005, when hundreds of complaints flooded the city's information hotline.
The city deployed technical sleuths whenever the sweet smelling odor returned, but they didn't get their big break until Jan. 29, when Department of Environmental Protection officials were able to take samples of the odor and glean it was an ester created during the processing of fenugreek seeds.
Officials believe the maple syrup smell originated at Frutarom, a flavor and fragrance company that processes the spice on a regular basis. Fenugreek is used to flavor artificial maple syrup and is a staple of Indian cuisine.
Frutarom does not appear to be violating any laws releasing the harmless smell, and it and will likely continue, Bloomberg said.
"It just happens to be one of the aromas that we have to live with in a city like New York," he said.
