During winter, nature's earthy aromas are suppressed by the cold, dry air and the frozen ground. One of the few smells that we associate with winter is that of wood smoke, which, I suspect, is appealing to most of us.
Anthropologists tell us that Homo erectus was the first hominid to create and use fire, a skill learned more than 1 million years before our own species evolved. Fire was vital to prehistoric man, providing light, heat and a means of protection. It seems likely that the smell of wood smoke is imprinted on the collective human conciousness, triggering a sense of comfort and safety. For we humans, wood smoke is the aroma of home.
