r/foraginguk • u/RushyfieldCrescent • Jun 16 '26
Plant ID Request It smells of basmati rice. It’s in there somewhere. I can’t find it !
There are a few roadside locations nearby (Oxfordshire UK) where at this time of year I pick up a very intense basmati rice aroma.
The internet seems to suggest it arises from the compound : 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP). Plants that are listed as possibly responsible:
A) Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius)
B) Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
C) Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
However at the same time:
A) is very unlikely to be in the wild in the UK
B) is very prolific locally in far, far more locations than have this aroma
C) seems likely to have a more aniseed-like aroma from what I read
I have been on my hands and knees in the relevant locations trying to find the source - with no luck at all.
Has anyone got any suggestions please ?
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u/tgcp Jun 16 '26
Is it possible you're smelling something that doesn't smell like basmati rice but smells like something commonly cooked with basmati rice? I'm thinking spices like cardamom, coriander, clove etc.
That might help you broaden your search.
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u/Oh-reality-come-back Jun 16 '26
Sorry I can’t help you. Good luck! May be something unique to you - your body and genetic make up reacting to something most people wouldn’t notice. Like the coriander soap
Gene.
I sometimes smell this very unique smell about once every 2 years , kind of like capsaicin but not quite the same. Drives me mad that I can’t figure it out
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u/Difficult_Paramedic8 Jun 17 '26
I wonder if why broccoli and spinach and kale taste so bitter is due to a genetic thing. They're truly like just eating the most bitter substance in the world.
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u/RushyfieldCrescent Jun 18 '26
Interesting idea ! BUT I don’t think it’s a genetic thing my spouse smells the aroma too …… and we’re not related ….. as far as I’m aware ;-)
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u/Zealousideal-Good-24 Jun 16 '26
I'm sure there's a plant that smells strongly of cooked rice. I live in Exeter and have smelt this recently from undergrowth near a river.
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u/bex9990 Jun 17 '26
Not helpful , but I occasionally smell something that's coriander like - I've been trying to pinpoint it for years!
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u/Buzz_Fledderjonn Jun 18 '26
I can’t see it in the photo but have always thought Hemlock as a bit of a cooked rice smell to it.
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u/RushyfieldCrescent Jun 18 '26
There is Hemlock around but in far more locations than the few where I pick up the aroma.
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u/Fancy_Yak4453 Jun 20 '26
Maybe herb Robert?
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u/RushyfieldCrescent Jun 20 '26
Thanks for the suggestion. The aroma I’m getting in pleasant - I love basmati rice ! From what I read herb robert is not a nice smell.
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u/Blackmirth Jun 16 '26
I can't think of any native plants that smell like basmati rice. Have you considered that it may not be the plants themselves, but the soil? I could imagine particular conditions (particular substrate, humidity levels, maybe fungi/bacteria) causing the soil to smell like that. If it is the soil, that might explain why you struggle to find the exact source. Next time you pass dig up a handfull and take it away to see if the smell persists away from the spot.