Common — and Uncommon — Scents for the Table

Isn’t it fun when one post leads to another among bloggers? I love this sharing of ideas! (When things get difficult or stressful in my real life, I'm happy to have this online world to turn to.)

Andrea over at Under a Blue Moon always wows me with her entries. Her Sept. 28 post was about candles, and she shared a photo of how she uses pressed-glass goblets — very similar to those I talked about on Sept. 25 — as votive holders. She also talked about her favorite candles. Andrea very kindly provided a link to this site.

Well, Andrea's post got me thinking. With so many scents around, can we use candles to complement our meals?

At our house, we often dine by candlelight, sometimes even on weekdays when the meal is leftovers. More often than not, this time of year, the candle scent is fall-related, like our food.

Tonight for my husband’s birthday dinner, we will have Chicken Provençal and my salade de soleil. I’ve got an Herbes de Provence scented candle that is small but packs a punch. I've also got a pumpkin pie candle to light for some background scent.

My theory is that candle scents should be matched to food the way wines are paired. The scent of the candle should pick up something from the meal. A seafood dish, in my mind, calls for a lemon or citrus candle on the table and perhaps — if it's summer — a “seashore” scented candle in the background. (A little hokey, maybe, but fun anyway.) A savory dish might work well with some herb-scent or maybe a spicy apple aroma.

I’d save florals for light summer lunches or teas. (Some of the tea-scented candles out there are out-of-this world — true aromatherapy.)

There are tons of food-scented candles on the market. I like anything chocolate-y on a blustery day. I once hoped lighting a chocolate candle might satisfy cravings. It doesn't, but it smells good anyway. And I'd used coffee-scented candles to keep me awake when I need to be — another good idea that did not fly.

The growing list of candle scents offers something for every palate — ah — nose. I suppose it is only a matter of time before someone comes out with ratatouille or pepper steak candles.

And I suppose there are purists out there who would say that another scent destroys the meal experience. Pfft! What about wine?

By the way, after reading Andrea's post, I went out in search of some new candle scents. Here's what I found: Autumn Leaves Harvest, Mom's Apple Pie, Farmhouse Apple and Brown Sugar and Spice, all from Yankee Candle.

Thanks, Andrea! It had been a long time since I'd splurged on candles. It felt good.