I usually get a negative answer on this question, but let's have a poll. :p

It seems very basic to me. You have a plate with warm food. You get close to it and sniff and inhale the warm air it gives out. You realize it's been warmed up without having to touch it, just by using your nose. Hence, it smells warm!

I've been corrected on it a number of times, though. The usual argument is "warmth is not a smell". I agree with that, buuuuuuuut see above paragraph!

I think I may sometime exercise my right to use it as a "quirky turn of phrase" or something. We can't all write the same things, yanno.

This seems to me like an example of synesthesia.

Other possibilities:
1) When you bring your nose close enough to the food, it senses the warmth coming from the food, just as it would sense the warmth emanating from any heated object.
2) It seems entirely likely to me that a hot food would emit more particles than a cold one, given its higher energy. The nose might sense the increased density of food particles and translate that perception to being one of warmth.

These ideas are all off the top of my head; I'll admit to having done no research on the topic.

Joy,
Lynn

I think there might be some foods that smell different warm vs. cold. Popcorn, for instance, has different smell depending on how warm it is. Cream of potato soup is another that doesn't have a smell (to me) until its warmed up.

If I can think of other examples, I'll amend this post.

I said yes, but it's probably more of a turn of phrase that I think works. But hey, for whatever reason (and Lynn's ideas might be on the mark, I really don't know) I SMELL WARM FOOD. So there. I give you the go-ahead, Sue.

PS: I don't know if this is true or not, but at least for me, I can smell food better when it's warm than cold. I can barely smell it at all then. Example: Mexican Food. AKA my current late dinner.

I agree with Mouse. Food has a stronger smell to me when it is warm. Like pizza. I can't really smell pizza when it is cold, but once it it heated up, it has a distinctive smell.

Lynn, loving your scientific explanations. I remember having read that heated food always smells stronger than cold food - I don't remember the mechanism for certain but I think it was something along the lines of your second one: increased density of particles.

Thanks for the contributions, FoLCs Keep them coming!

It's definitely noticeable for some foods, e.g. bread, not so much for others, so I've voted for "acceptable term" rather than "of course."