Toast is Britain's favourite smell

London, Sept 11 (ANI): A study has revealed that the toast is Britons' favourite smell, bringing back comforting memories of childhood.

The study conducted by scientists at Cardiff University for the Flour Advisory Bureau found that 99 percent admitted to loving toast, with the best time for consuming it still being at breakfast.

The only difference in opinion between the sexes is that men prefer brown bread to white bread, with both genders finding thick-sliced toast more tempting than the thinner variety.

Professor Don Mottram of Reading University, worked with Cardiff's Professor Tim Jacob to work out what exactly made up the smell of toast, which triggers such good memories.

"The smell of toast is a single odour 'object'," Sky News quoted him as explaining.

"It is not perceived as a mix of separate ingredients as you would find when smelling wine for example.

"As long as some of the key components are there, we will recognise it as toast and recall the 'toast' memories," he stated.

The science behind the smell of toast is all about conditioned association and how odours then stimulate emotional responses.

"Most families eat toast for breakfast and the distinctive smell of toast delivers a feel-good factor in British homes by evoking comforting childhood memories," Professor Jacob said.

"It is entirely conceivable that we can sniff our way back to happy childhoods with the aroma of toast - delivering a warm, feel-good factor across countless breakfast tables throughout the nation," he added. (ANI)