Eureka?

Butyric acid. It's the chemical I think is responsible for my dislike of popcorn and many cheesy Italian dishes. Apparently it's an acid common in parmesan, rancid butter, and vomit. I've always become unsettled and slightly nauseous around buttered popcorn and cooked Italian foods involving lots of parmesan and other strong cheeses. Even uncooked parmesan does the same thing. The taste is just fine but the smell is putrid to me. (Parmigiano reggiano, though not of the most pleasant smell, tastes great with some good Italian bread or prosciutto.) Nobody else I've met is this way; everyone has thought me strange for it. But maybe I can just smell the acid more strongly than most other people, hence my aversion to foods containing it.