A US state has an official aroma but wait till you hear of other weird national symbols
New Mexico, a southwestern state in the United States is known for a variety of things right from its stunning landscapes to beautiful caves. Apart from its beauty, it is also known for its chilli peppers. Now, the state lawmakers have made it the official aroma.
The strong flavourful aroma of roasted chili is not for everyone, but if you are in New Mexico, running away from that Roasted Chili smell will be a little difficult for you, as now the state has made it their 'national aroma'.
What the lawmaker, Las Cruces is saying is absolutely right, even we were not able to find any other state that has a national aroma, there are many countries that have just enough strange emblems/symbols. Take a look:
Grasshoppers: Right near New Mexico, we have Mexico, which has a grasshopper as its national animal. Grasshoppers or chapulines are a Mexican delicacy, popular in Oaxaca and Mexico City. They are sold as snacks at local soccer games and markets, so their famous dish is also their national animal, that's not weird, right? we don't know.
Fondue: Switzerland is known for its strong passport and stands (political) but has fondue as its national dish since it was promoted by the Swiss Cheese Union, (yes, there was a union) in the 1930s.
The Unicorn: Scotland's national state animal, Unicorn, is pretty commonly known now, but it does deserve a spot in the strangest emblems list. Scotland, out of millions of species of fauna in the world has a mystical creature as their national animal. According to folklore, the unicorn had the power to defeat the much bigger elephant.
Fun fact: When Scotland was choosing its national animal, people believed that Unicorn was real.
The Chollima: The Chollima is another mythological creature that is frequently mentioned in Chinese classics, although it is less well-known than the unicorn. Chollima literally means "thousand-mile horse," and alludes to its propensity to run 500 Kms in a single day.
Chicken tikka masala: No, this is not the national dish of India or any east Asian country. It is the national dish of India's former coloniser, the UK.
(No, Kohinoor wasn't enough)
If you think that's all; wait for it. Apart from national food, animal, flower, symbol and aromas, some countries also have national liquors.
For instance, Russia's national liquor is Vodka (why we are not surprised) or England's national liquor is Gin (for the south) and Whiskey (for the north).
Fun Fact: India does not have a national food, because of our diverse culture and traditions and neither do we have a national liquor. Our neighbour, Pakistan has Biryani as its national food.