A Foodie Museum Is Cooking in Brooklyn

At the far end of the newly opened Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn, there’s a row of vents affixed to thick tubes. Multi-colored wires trail down the whitewashed brick wall and snake up from the floor. They’re pumping scents that conjure familiar flavors.

An air compressor churns aroma chemicals through the tubes; the chemicals evaporate and become sniffable. The idea is to teach people about the sum effect of disparate smells, such as orange, lime, and cinnamon essential oils paired with vanilla extract. (The result is a scent that evokes bubbly cola.)