That familiar smell of a backyard barbeque; the smokiness, the char, remnants of the seasoning used. It’s a smell I’m met with quite frequently on my strolls this summer.

I enjoy absorbing in the aroma, usually followed by a release in my salivary glands and an accompanying image of some food.

I find the smell of a nearby barbeque to be consistently pleasant. I welcome the stimulation it brings to my senses.

I associate that pleasant smell with those foods I enjoy grilling, namely, meat. I’d go as far as to say, I had internalized the implication that to enjoy the smell of BBQ is to enjoy a non-vegetarian diet.

On second thought, that seems like an unexamined belief.

Do vegetarians like the smell of a smokey BBQ? My grandmother has expressed she loves the smell, and she’s been vegetarian her whole life.

Perhaps the smell of barbeque carries not the food being grilled, but the joy being shared by those around the grill. The smell of a barbeque is merely a reminder of a good time, shared over some good food, perhaps.