Spices

Spices are among the natural raw materials used in perfumery. There are two categories: fresh spices and hot spices. Fresh spices act mainly as top notes in a perfume, and warm spices will develop mainly as heart and base notes. 

 

Fresh Spices

Here are the main fresh spices used in perfumery:

  • Cardamom
  • Coriander
  • Pink pepper
  • Timut pepper
  • Ginger
  • Juniper berries

 

Cardamom

A herbaceous plant native to southern India, cardamom belongs to the same botanical family as ginger and turmeric. It grows wild in damp woods and mountains. It is also found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tanzania and Central America. There are varieties of green and black cardamom. 

This "big lady" can grow up to 5 metres high and has beautiful green leaves. The small capsules containing the famous fragrant seeds are found within its small white flowers. 

By distilling these capsules we obtain the essential oil of cardamom used in perfumery. It is a very expensive spice, as its production requires a very large amount of labour. 

Health benefits of cardamom

Cardamom seeds have proven their effectiveness in Ayurvedic medicine (traditional Indian medicine) and serve as a powerful tonic that can improve digestion, soothe nausea and kidney pain. 

Cardamom seeds and essence are also used to flavour coffee (mainly in Arab countries), where they are believed to neutralise the effects of caffeine. They are used to flavour tea (such as the delicious Chaï Massala), mulled wine, and in Scandinavian pastries. The Romans already used cardamom in cooking.

Cardamom-based perfumes

Cardamom is widely used in many perfumes, for example:

 

 

Coriander

An herbaceous umbelliferous plant 20 to 80 cm tall and native to the Middle East, coriander (Coriandrum Sativum from its scientific name) is now cultivated in Europe and Russia. This grass with fine foliage, small flowers, and large round fruits are mainly found in meadows and fields. 

It belongs to the carrot family and is also known as “Chinese parsley" or "Arab parsley". All parts of this plant are edible, including the leaves, seeds, and roots, even if they taste different. The leaves have a slight aniseed smell, the seeds, and roots taste like orange peel. 

History of coriander

Traces of coriander were found in the tombs of the pharaohs. In the Middle Ages, it was also used to ward off demons by throwing a handful of the spice into the fire. Charlemagne cherished it for its bactericidal functions, and it was later attributed to aphrodisiac virtues.

During the Second World War, as raw products were rationed, "sugar drops" were invented, coriander seeds coated with white or pink sugar, which were thrown to the crowd like confetti during the few moments of festivities, such as during carnivals.

Coriander is one of the main components of curry, it also flavours gin, chartreuse and chili. 

The smell of coriander is close to that of citrus fruits: it is very uplifting, fresh, lemony, and a little camphorated. There are olfactory variations depending on the part treated (the leaves or the seeds). Its main constituent is linalool, common with the scent of rosewood.

Perfumes composed of coriander scents are, for example:

  • Heritage Guerlain
  • Gentleman Only Jean Couturier
  • Intense Jean Couturier
  • Coriandre Jean Couturier

 

Pink pepper or pink berries 

Pink pepper (from its botanical name Schimus Molle) comes from South America and was introduced to Mauritius in the 19th century. It is a false pepper and is widely used in perfumery as a top note. It gives, indeed, lift and freshness, while bringing a peppery tone. It is obtained by distillation or extraction with supercritical C02. In perfumery, this spice is used in many fragrances, and its scent goes wonderfully well with citrus notes.

 

Timut pepper

A new pepper from Nepal has recently been added to the perfumer's organ: timur pepper or timut pepper. With its very interesting grapefruit accents, it is a false pepper, a cousin of Sichuan pepper.

 

Ginger

This spice has been highly appreciated for hundreds of years. It was discovered by Marco Polo in China. Ginger is the rhizome of a large tropical plant. It is sometimes considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac.

It is a rising, fresh, citrusy, dewy, and spicy note. It can sometimes give a soapy note to the perfume. There are different qualities depending on the extraction process: either by classical distillation or by molecular or C02 distillation.

Ginger is very much appreciated by perfumers and is used in these perfumes in particular:

  • Déclaration Cartier
  • Five o’clock Serge Lutens
  • Allure Homme sport Edition Blanche Chanel
  • Eau de Gingembre Roger Gallet
  • L’Eau Diptyque
  • Fou d’Absinthe L’Artisan Parfumeur
  • Safran Troublant L’Artisan Parfumeur
  • Dzing L’Artisan Parfumeur
  • Ginger Picante Guerlain
  • Baptême du Feu Serge Lutens
  • Vangelis Sylvaine Delacourte

 

Juniper berries 

From their botanical name Juniperus communis and the botanical family Cupressaceae, juniper berries are the fruit of the juniper tree, a shrub native to Mediterranean Europe, although it is widespread in Eastern Europe. It grows spontaneously on poor, dry soil, forming bushes with prickly needles, whose fruits are used in perfumery once distilled.

They are also used in cooking to flavour sauerkraut or in the process of making Gin (where other spices are added, such as pepper, cinnamon, coriander, also angelica root, iris powder, citrus peel, licorice).

This spice has inspired:

History of juniper  

It was common to plant juniper trees close to houses in some parts of Europe, as it was believed to have a protective role (the power to ward off diseases as well as evil spirits, snakes and witches).

Olfactive description 

From the olfactory family of the terpenic conifer, juniper has small blackish berries that conceal pine scents with a spicy and peppery flavour. These fragrances are also reminiscent of gin while being woody, aromatic and slightly resinous. Juniper berries give the fragrances a spicy, fine and racy flavour.

 

Hot spices 

Here are the main hot spices used in perfumery:

  • Nutmeg and mace (its husk) 
  • Cinnamon wood
  • Peppers
  • Saffron
  • Pepper berries

 

Nutmeg 

The fruit of the nutmeg tree is a round, pale yellow, marked with red or green streaks. When this fruit reaches maturity, it implodes, giving way to an ovoid, brown, dense and oily nut. 

This nut is protected by a membrane called Macis. In medicine, cosmetics, perfumery or cooking, it is possible to use both nutmeg and mace, because in this membrane found a lot of aromas (released by Eugenol via its essential oil).

History of nutmeg

Pliny the Elder spoke of a tree from which the two spices could be extracted, nutmeg and mace (in a way the "umbilical cord" of the nutmeg). Nutmeg perfumed wines and beers in the 12th century. For a long time, its cultivation remained the monopoly of the Dutch in the Moluccan Islands. According to a saying, stealing a nutmeg meant dying before planting it. During colonisation, around 1800, France seized the Dutch treasures, and the nutmeg was thus sent to tropical British colonies, where thanks to Pierre Poivre they learned how to cultivate this spice. Nutmeg is very often associated with love and beauty.

Cultivation and harvesting of nutmeg 

Nutmeg is a member of the Myricaceae family and comes from the nutmeg tree, a tropical tree that can reach 7 meters in height and is easily found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Moluccan Islands and the West Indies. Seven years are needed to obtain a harvest, it takes 5 kg of nutmeg to obtain 1 kg of mace. These fruits are harvested three times a year (they are directly gelled and it is not necessary to wait for them to fall naturally).

Properties of nutmeg 

This spice has great virtues for digestion, epilepsy, or used as an antiseptic. It is one of the famous "Four Spices" used in cooking to add flavour to a dish. It also has a hallucinogenic power and is sometimes used as a drug, as it is easily accessible and inexpensive.

During the Renaissance, Fernel was convinced that nutmeg was a powerful stimulant for the body and mind. Thus, until the 18th century, 24 nutmeg preparations were listed in Codex 1758 by apothecaries.

Eugenol, methyl eugenol and iso-eugenol are molecules found in cloves and nutmeg. All these molecules are limited or even prohibited by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) laws. They are found naturally in the essence of ylang-ylang and rose.

Olfactive description 

Its spicy, dry, warm and deep note can evoke a leathery note, a medicated camphor side, a clove facet as well as an earthy note.

Nutmeg can be found in some perfumes, such as: 

 

 

Cinnamon 

From the Lauraceae family, the Ceylon cinnamon tree is 10 to 15 meters high. Its bark is harvested in the rainy season to produce spice. Cinnamon is mainly grown in Sri Lanka, the Seychelles and Madagascar. The Sri-Lanka cinnamon tree is the most appreciated variety because of its soft and sweet character. 

History of cinnamon

Cinnamon is the oldest of the spices. Already used 5,000 years B.C. in China, it was considered even more valuable than gold. References to cinnamon can be found in the Bible.

Treatment of the raw material

Cinnamon essence is obtained by steam distillation of the bark, which produces a clear, dark red liquid. It is also possible to make essential oil from the leaves, obtaining a spicy smell reminiscent of eugenol.

Olfactive description  

The cinnamon is spicy and balsamic. It has a very woody, slightly sweet, vanilla note. It is warm, balmy, powerful and close to clove. Lively and sensual, this spice is also powdery, peppery, and at the same time round in its evolution. Its pungent smell evokes spicy tea and biscuits prepared for Christmas.

Use of cinnamon

Cinnamon is also used in the reconstitution of floral facets, such as rose, hyacinth, lily of the valley, carnation and lily. It can also be used to reinforce certain notes (balsamic notes) in fougere or oriental fragrances. It can be used as a heart note (it often makes the link with the base notes).

Properties of cinnamon

The antioxidants found in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent or alleviate osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease. This spice is rich in cinnamic aldehyde, which acts as a powerful antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and broad-spectrum antiparasitic. In addition, cinnamon helps to stimulate the immune system.

Among the fragrances made with cinnamon we can mention: 

  • Opium Yves Saint Laurent 
  • Selfish Chanel
  • Rousse Serge Lutens
  • Black Orchid Tom Ford
  • Christmas at Balcony Elo
  • Dolce Vita Dior
  • L'Eau Lente Diptyque

 

Pepper 

Black, white and green peppercorns do not come from different varieties but correspond to different degrees of ripening. These peppercorns all come from the same shrub: the Piper Nigrum.

Pepper consumption is now equivalent to the consumption of all other spices combined. The pepper note is widely used in perfumery. It is notably found in:

 

Saffron

Coming from the pistil of a variety of crocuses, it is the most expensive spice in the world. Nicknamed red gold, its use is very limited in perfumery and even forbidden because it contains safrol, an allergenic component. A substitute, called saffronal, is used instead. It gives a leathery, spicy and very powerful note. It is found in particular in Oud-based perfumes and in Middle Eastern perfumeries.

Here are some examples of perfumes containing saffronal: 

 

Pepper berries 

This raw material comes from the West Indies, mainly from Jamaica. The leaves are processed by distillation to give the "chilli leaf". The treated berries are used to obtain a product called berry pepper. They have a spicy, warm, complex scent that is a blend of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.

These perfumes have been made with chilli pepper berries: 

  • Mitsouko Guerlain
  • Burning Pepper L'Artisan Parfumeur 

 

Other spices 

There are a few more confidential spices used in perfumery:

  • Caraway, which requires a profound mastery on the part of the perfumer.
  • Cumin, a spice that was appreciated by Edmond Roudnitska, who used it in Comme dans Femme by Rochas.
  • Clove, whose scent, together with rose, created the carnation note present in Coco by Chanel, Opium by YSL, Aromatics Elixir by Clinique, Miss by Dior, Tam Dao by Diptyque, Florentina and Vangelis by Sylvaine Delacourte.

Here are some perfumes containing a mixture of spices:

 

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.