What Philly's official smell should be

When you think of Philly, what do you smell?

Driving the news: New Mexico is angling to make roasted chile its official state aroma. It would be the first state to have one.

• That got us thinking about what our city’s official aroma might be.

Nose goes, here were our readers' responses:

• Maureen G. said Philly's official aroma is the “truck smell, particularly from ones selling cheesesteaks with fried onions.”
• Jeff S. said “fried onions or garlic — if we’re talking about the good smells!”
• Joel K. said our official smell should be “hoagie shop.”
• Kasey T. said the overpowering smell of urine in Center City was “welcome-back nostalgia” when she returned to Philadelphia from attending college in the 1990s. Center City has improved since then, she said, but it’s “still the first that comes to mind. Maybe mixed with salty olive & cheese smell from the old Italian Market shops.”
• Loren T. said Philly smells like the cheesesteaks being made while “walking past any of the wonderful iconic shops.”
• Andy P. “30 years ago … I'd have to say ‘soft pretzels’ — that doughy, salty smell emanating from the soft pretzel carts scattered throughout the downtown area.” He added: “Now, I'd have to say to marijuana.”