The air is getting “chili” in New Mexico! Lawmakers there are considering a bill that would make the smell of green chili peppers roasting the official state aroma. The move would make New Mexico the first state to have a signature scent.

State Senator Bill Soules, who introduced the bill, says the designation would help attract tourists and boost New Mexico’s agriculture industry. The state produces more than 60 percent of the chili peppers grown in the United States. 

The vegetable is flame-roasted outside grocery stores and at roadside stands in New Mexico. The savory and earthy scent is unforgettable, Soules says. “People have a very emotional attachment to that aroma,” he explains. “It’s very much a part of our culture.”