Have you ever suddenly held your nose while enjoying the autumn leaves? The yellow path is so pretty, but somewhere there's a nasty smell like stinky feet. The culprit is the yellow ginkgo fruit lying on the ground. ## The Source of the Smell The smell comes from the fruit's outer flesh. When the skin bursts, the smell spreads all at once. Ginkgo fruit grows only on female trees, not on male trees. ## Why Ginkgo Trees, of All Things? Ginkgo trees are resistant to exhaust fumes and insects and grow well, so in Korea they have long been planted widely along streets. But it's hard to tell young trees apart as male or female. Only after several decades, when the fruit appears, do you find out it's a female tree. So when October comes, district office workers shake the branches with long poles and collect the fruit. They clear them away first, before anyone steps on them. ## A Rule Written Nowhere When Koreans see yellow fruit on the ground, they quietly walk around it. They don't pick the fruit up either. That's because the outer flesh can make some people's skin itchy or swollen if it touches them. So what happens if you break this rule? The smell sticks to the soles of your shoes and follows you around all day. Even on the subway. If you happen to step on one, wipe the soles of your shoes by rubbing them on leaves or grass, and only go inside your home after cleaning them. On ginkgo tree streets, it's best to walk while looking at the ground. In places where lots of fruit has fallen, you can see yellow stains.