Can you tell what your neighbor is cooking?

By Macy
Philippines
August 29, 2019 12:28am CST
Our laundry area happens to share a wall with our neighbor's kitchen. The lady of that house is a good cook and is known to make delicious dishes native to her province, which is in the Bicol region. Every day, in the morning, she and her house help prepare several dishes. I assume they do all the cooking in the morning and just reheat the dishes during lunch and dinner. And, every time we do the laundry, we catch a waft of the aroma coming from her kitchen. Some days, while doing our laundry, my husband and I would try to guess what she's cooking based on the smell that comes from the kitchen window. It's kinda funny to do that because it makes us hungry. We do know that this neighbor likes to cook scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions; pork in coconut milk and flavored with fermented shrimp; fish soup with tamarind; chicken curry etc. etc. When I was staying in a building in the Queens area in NYC, there was Filipino family living on the first floor. I remember smelling the glory of salted dried fish as I climbed the stairs to the second-floor flat. It sure smelled of home, and I was thankful that there was something like it in a neighborhood full of deli and all sorts of American food. I knew that "daing" (salted dried fish) could be the grossest thing for other people, but to me back then, it was pure heaven. * Image by Larry White from Pixabay
6 people like this
8 responses
@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
29 Aug 19
No, my neighbors are not close enough to smell what they are cooking. I can smell their BBQs sometimes in summer.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
30 Aug 19
@almostoveryou I am glad not to have neighbors too close, I like our privacy.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
I would've preferred having that kind of neighborly distance. I grew up in an estate that didn't have neighboring houses on either side. I loved it.
1 person likes this
• Japan
29 Aug 19
Yes, I smell delicious breakfast from next door about the time I am waking up. This morning it smelled like ramen.
1 person likes this
• Japan
30 Aug 19
@almostoveryou I can't eat them any more because I have become gluten intolerant. I like them though.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
Yum. Do you like ramen? I only like the broth, meat and veggies. Can't seem to like the noodles.
@rakski (156775)
• Philippines
29 Aug 19
unfortunately I cannot tell what do they cook except when it is fried fish or if they are roasting
1 person likes this
@rakski (156775)
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
fried fish is definitely easy to tell.
1 person likes this
• Guangdong, China
29 Aug 19
haha, so funny. It happened the same situation to me as well. Sometimes the neighbors from the opposite bake bread or fry fish, or fry rice at night...when I ready go to bed. Then I feel hungry when I try to sleep and with the aroma of the food.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
that would've been agonizing for me. especially if neighbor would cook a dish that i really like.
• Guangdong, China
3 Sep 19
@almostoveryou well, I had been through this for over a few years. hahah. Hard to explain that feeling.
1 person likes this
@Janet357 (75638)
29 Aug 19
yes i can telll it. i just dont like when my neighbors fry dried fish..i dont like.the smell along shrimp paste and guava.
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
what kind of dish is that?
@Starkinds (32737)
• India
29 Aug 19
Good morning right now I am in the office I have no idea what my neighbours are cooking
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
have a good day, jaya!!
1 person likes this
@Starkinds (32737)
• India
30 Aug 19
@almostoveryou same to you, good morning.
• Philippines
30 Aug 19
Unfortunately, I can’t guess what our neighbor’s cooking. I don’t go out or even peep through the window
• United States
21 Oct 19
We live in the middle of nowhere. I guess it they were cooking it on the bbq out back we might get a whiff!