A list of curious facts

One: Cats are usually either black or orange. Any other colour is just a faded version of one of those colours—or a blend of the two. That’s until the ‘salmiak’ cat came along. Its fur is black near the root—but grows whiter and whiter as it grows towards the tip. As for the name, it means “salty liquorice”—and is named for a popular snack food in Finland—where this gorgeous kitty is usually found. The salmiak colour is the result of a new gene sequence—specifically, a missing piece of DNA. Popular Mechanic has all the nerdy details on this new shade of cat—which you can see below. 

Two: Temples dole out lip-smacking prasad—both of the sweet and savoury kind. But only one offers chow mein—the Kali Mata Temple in Calcutta’s Chinatown. Legend has it that a little Chinese boy fell terribly ill. His desperate family offered prayers to two black stones placed under a tree—which were worshipped by the locals as Kali Maa. The child recovered, the couple became devotees—as did others who became ‘Chinese Hindus’. And they gave noodles as offerings to the goddess—which eventually became a form of prasad. You can read more over at Times of India or—better yet—watch the vid below to get the Kalibari full experience.

Three: Did you know that teenage boys are “smellmaxxing” these days—which is Gen Z for upgrading your body odour… by buying really expensive perfume. Boys these days are spending anywhere from $200 to $1,200 for that sweet smell. Good ole Axe is sooo over! 

But it’s still about being macho—and of course, attracting the ladies:

Teenagers are especially fond of the packaging of Angels’ Share by Kilian, which resembles a glass of cognac, and Le Male, a strapping torso with wide shoulders and a bulging crotch. “They make it so sexy,” said Ms. Glover, the middle school teacher, “and an 11-year-old is like, I want to wear that to school.”

A data point to bring it home: Young folks between the ages 13 and 26 are now the highest consumers of perfumes in the US and Canada. Of course, the trend is driven entirely by influencers—usually on TikTok. For example, we have @therealcologneboy on Insta—who is truly excellent:) (New York Times)