One day the daughter of the Emperor asked Rabbi Joshua son of Hananiah: "Why is it that the food you cook for the Sabbath has a better flavor than that which you cook during the week?"

He replied: "We have a spice which we put into the Sabbath food, and which gives it so good a flavor."

Said the Emperor: "Give me some of the spice."

R. Joshua replied: "If one observes the Sabbath, the food smells good to him, but

if one does not observe the Sabbath, the food does not smell good to him. Therefore it would do you no good even though I gave you of the spice."

And in this way he put him off.

The moral is that one should honor the Sabbath with food and it will smell good.