France Creates Scratch-and-Sniff Stamps That Smell Like Fresh Baguettes

Just in time for the feast of Saint-Honoré, a day honoring the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, La Poste in France released a limited edition set of scratch-and-sniff stamps featuring a baguette wrapped in the national colors of the French flag. The effect was achieved through "microcapsules of fragrance embedded in ink" and 594,000 copies of this special edition stamp were created.

There are so many reasons to love this. It offers a distinctly French sensory experience to anyone anywhere. It might encourage people in a digital era to rediscover the magic of sending a letter (or anything else physical) to one another by post. It could help increase utilization of the French postal system. Not to mention it’s a viral idea designed to gain media attention.

Most romantically, it captures a tiny piece of humanity which could be preserved for generations to come thanks to stamp collectors. In case of calamity in the far future, it’s nice to know a few modern delights would still make it.