Ambergris, the subject of a new book, “is aromatic—both woody and floral. The smell reminds me of leaf litter on a forest floor.” Herman Melville devoted an entire chapter of Moby Dick to the substance.

Is it safe to eat ambergris?

9) Sperm Wale Excrement, or “Ambergris”

And as history would have it, being the balenic equivalent of a gallbladder stone has done nothing to dissuade us from its consumption. Put simply, Ambergris is edible excrement, evacuated from a sperm whale and left to float the oceans.

What does ambergris smell like?

Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odor. It acquires a sweet, earthy scent as it ages, commonly likened to the fragrance of rubbing alcohol without the vaporous chemical astringency.