SUBMITTED BY:AnonymousWHAT YOU TRIED:The study of the past, and more generally, the study of cultures that are distant from us either geographically, culturally or otherwise, may take on an overly abstract turn which impairs the students' capacity to engage fully with the material. Resort to visual (from paintings and ancient maps to the wealth of objects available in digital form or from the university museums) and acoustic material (from medieval music to linguistic reconstruction of antique languages) are classic tools to circumvent the difficulty and help the students relate to the living spirit of the culture and society under study. Yet sensory experience of another type might truly help bring in some three-dimensionality to the learning experience - if and when applicable. One example: A classic image of classical Persian amorous poetry is the scent of musk - a topical reference the scope of which may vary from reference to the tresses of the beloved to metaphor of mystical love. The original, animal fragrance of musk is not only unfamiliar to most students (the use of deer musk is now prohibited and most of the molecules used in perfumery today are synthetic) - the particular qualities of this animal product are apprehended in a completely different manner when experienced directly and all at once by sight, touch, and smell. Bringing to class a sample little musk pod found on a market in Iran, having the students describe the fragrance, discuss its provenance and the production and circulation of the aromatic substance make for a fun and interactive class - and I believe, facilitate engagement with the living, referential dimension of high literary culture. The same can be said of taste - although of course, special caution and precautions are in order when bringing edibles to class (from the basic sanitary rules to allergens and dietary restrictions).WHAT YOU WISH YOU’D KNOWN PRIOR:Before organizing any such session (with taste in particular), students must be clearly informed and asked in advance – they should express explicit consent and willingness to take part in this type of learning experience, and specify any known contraindication (medical or cultural). The instructor, on his/her part, should make sure that the exact nature of, and components making up the food brought to class must be entirely and explicitly disclosed. As a rule, I find that spices, dry foods and vegetable products are at once safer and easier to handle. When working with our sense of smell or taste, which is usually underdeveloped and undertrained, and too often disconnected from the cognitive faculties at play in the learning process, it is particularly important to take the time to put words on our perceptions, and to identify, name and describe what it is that we feel – comparing maybe to past sensations, in order to establish a connection between the sensory experience tried in class and the material or intellectual process we are trying to understand.BENEFITS:In the best cases, when the experience is carefully embedded in the purpose of the course and carried out successfully, the sensory experience remains not only as a pleasant memory, but spurs the imaginative and – more surprisingly – the theoretical capacities of the students greatly. It is a known fact that taste and smell are intimately connected to processes involving memory, but also narrative production. Although these senses may not be the easiest to elicit in a classroom, moderate and careful resort to taste and smell may hold invaluable benefits, not merely in food-oriented courses proper (teachings concerned with food culture and cuisine), but in the Humanities at large, and particularly for the study of remote (past or distant) societies and cultures.