- Latin name
- Sesamum indicum
- Family
- Sesame family (Pedaliaceae)
- Origin
- the scent is created in the laboratory
- Parts used
- seeds (as the reference for the scent)
- Raw materials
- gourmand nut accords
- Extraction
- synthesis
- Olfactory group
- gourmand (nutty)
- Position in the pyramid
- heart and base
- Synthetic substitutes
- pyrazines (roasted notes), nut accords
Sesame is one of humanity's oldest oil crops. Its tiny seeds are grown in Asia and Africa, and in perfume they sound like a warm, roasted, nutty note.
How it smells: warm, nutty and faintly salty: toasted seeds, a light oiliness, a soft bready and slightly smoky shade. Sesame sounds cosy and unusual, adding an “edible” depth to a composition.
The familiar aroma of toasted sesame comes from pyrazines — compounds formed during roasting. The same molecules are responsible for the smell of coffee, cocoa and fresh bread crust.
What it pairs with: with vanilla — halva and oriental sweets, with honey — gourmand compositions, with woods — dry warmth, with milky notes — creamy softness, with spices — an oriental character.
Good to know: the famous “Open, Sesame!” from the Thousand and One Nights may hint at the way ripe sesame pods burst open by themselves, scattering their seeds.
