A Reddit post from Australia has ignited a fiery online debate about cultural cooking smells, property upkeep, and implicit biases. The post, titled “Bought a house and it stinks,” comes from a homeowner struggling with lingering food aromas in a recently purchased property, allegedly left behind by tenants of South Asian, and most likely, Indian-origin.
The Redditor detailed their plight, describing the house as imbued with scents reminiscent of butter chicken, garlic naan, saffron rice, and lamb rogan josh, despite rigorous cleaning efforts.
The user begins the post with a disclaimer: “This may come off as racist or controversial, but I am genuinely seeking some help!”
The last tenants were two men in their mid-twenties who come from a country that “occupies the greater part of South Asia", the Redditor wrote, implying India, the largest country in the sub-continent.
The homeowner listed everything they did to get rid of the odour: “We’ve cleaned thoroughly, left windows open, ran diffusers overnight, but the smell does not seem to ease.”
The man expressed frustration but claimed to seek genuine solutions, adding they had ordered an ozone generator in hopes of eliminating the odours.
While the Redditor insisted their concerns were practical and not prejudiced, commenters were quick to point out the undertones of cultural stereotyping. The post ended with a surprising revelation: “The weird thing is the kitchen does not smell like this.”
One Redditor shared their personal struggles, recounting how their Bangladeshi wife faced rental discrimination. “People don’t want to rent to people from there because their food stinks the house out.”
Another commenter revealed a similar issue in a rental once occupied by an Indian family. They claimed the property required a professional deep clean by specialists who also handle meth labs and crime scenes.
The topic spilled over to Twitter, where reactions ranged from disbelief to humour. “Didn’t they notice the smell when they were checking the house before they bought it? This seems a little strange,” wrote one user.
Others saw the post as an opportunity to extol the health benefits of Indian spices, with one commenting, “I don't know why western people aren't trying curry instead of complaining of smells…Turmeric fights cancer. Cardamom reduces heart attack risks. Curry leaves strengthen hair. Maybe embrace the aroma?”
The post has opened a broader discussion on cultural misunderstandings and prejudices, especially in multicultural societies like Australia. Critics argue that attributing property issues to specific ethnic cooking practices perpetuates stereotypes and reinforces exclusionary attitudes in housing.
However, others sympathised with the homeowner, framing it as a logistical issue rather than a cultural critique.
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