Hans’ Story: Relishing Taste Without Being Able To Smell

Hans Stammel is a long-time Australian citizen, having arrived from Germany in 1967. Now aged seventy-three, he was previously a documentary filmmaker and latterly a website designer. These days, he and his wife share their time equally between homes in Australia and the south of France.
Hans cannot pin down the precise moment he lost his sense of smell but knows it was at least 10 years ago. He suspects his anosmia may be linked to a history of smoking, even though he quit in 2008. “I used to be a very heavy smoker – originally strong French cigarettes and later, menthol-flavoured cigarettes. I also had a habit of exhaling the smoke through my nose.”
The coronavirus saw Hans obliged to endure a full eight months of locked-down lockout from his French home. When at last returning to the property, he was understandably anxious. “Don’t ask me if there were any bad smells or hidden mould.” The tendency of the French to be frank is something he rather appreciates right now. “Luckily for me, French people are very honest when commenting even on unpleasant things like bad smells. I frequently ask visitors if they are detecting anything and generally, I think I am getting the right answers.”
With family responsibilities requiring his wife to stay behind in Australia, Hans is grappling with the problems anosmics face when living alone. “I wouldn’t know if I left some food out or if the gas has developed a leak.”
Hans has interesting observations about his condition that he is keen to share. As he puts it, “There are times when my nose runs like an open tap.” He notes this happens when triggered – for better or worse – by strong olfactory influences. “For example, when I eat what I know to be well-prepared foods, especially with pungent herbs and spices.” Hans is quick to point out that he has no ability to discern the flavours per se, yet his nose appears to react to what it knows is there. He has a theory. “I would venture that somehow my nasal system is trying to clear itself so that I may enjoy these pleasures.” Yet Hans’ olfactory reactions are not confined merely to the convivial. “This same nasal discharge sometimes happens when I go to the toilet and what I must assume is a smelly number two!”
Retaining his tongue’s ability to discern saltiness, sourness sweetness etc, Hans continues to indulge his love of cooking. An excellent chef with extensive experience of German, French, Spanish and Italian cuisine, he instinctively knows the quantities of spices, herbs and seasoning required to produce great tasting food that he enjoys in the company of others. “I am still learning more about local cuisine – reading everything I can get my hands on – and use my friends as ‘guinea pigs’ to taste my dishes. Again, they are good at being honest – I think!”
Nevertheless, a problem is brewing that Hans knows he’ll need to keep an eye on. “Lately, I have started to over-compensate by using too much garlic, pepper and sometimes sugar, salt or vinegar, as these are sensations I can taste on the side of my tongue.”
While Hans is sad that he can no longer enjoy the nuanced smells and flavours of herbs, spices or fine wines, he has come to accept his loss in the same way he accepts other capabilities that tend to diminish with age. “I have learned to ‘put up with it’ – reluctantly – just like I am getting too old to do some things like climbing ladders.”
Interested in what olfactory research might eventually reveal, Hans remains sanguine, hoping that one day he will again, “smell the lavender of southern France and taste the subtle differences in the foods I like to cook and eat.”