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Pepper in perfumery

We continue our overview of the raw materials used in perfumery with pepper. 
You will learn about the origin, processing and use of pepper in perfumery. 

 

A definition of pepper

Botanical name of pepper: Piper Nigrum
Botanical family of pepper: Piperaccia 

Pepper makes the nose pucker as soon as you mention its name. This small berry is the queen of spices, it is used in all the cuisines of the world and does not lack spiciness.
Pepper accounts for a quarter of the global spice trade. 

 

History of pepper

Pepper was one of the first spices to arrive in Europe. Known since ancient times by Greeks and Romans, its price at the time was equivalent to gold. The search for this precious pepper motivated the great exploration missions in the colonial empires.

 

Origin of pepper

Pepper is a liana cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Madagascar, Brazil and Cameroon.

Over the years, Vietnam has become a major production player which led the prices to fall. 300 000 tons of pepper are produced every year.

 

 

Pepper plant

It is a climbing plant that needs stakes, this vine plant produces bunches of berries that are hand-picked and then dried. A liana can produce 1 kg to 1.5 kg of pepper per year.

A pepper plant gives 4 different peppers, there are different varieties of pepper-giving plants, but only the fruit of the Piper Nigrum is legally called pepper. 

The bloom takes place in May-June. White, green, red or black pepper essential oil can be obtained from the same plant.

  • Green pepper is obtained by keeping the immature and still green berries moist. It remains green for about 6 months. It can be eaten fresh, dried or in brine.
  • White pepper is a mature pepper that has been soaked in water to get rid of its pericarp and then dried. It is the sweetest pepper.
  • Black pepper is obtained by harvesting the berries just before maturity. It will wrinkle, harden and turn black.
  • Red pepper is obtained after 9 months, when it is ripe and dried in the shade of the sun.

There are two other species of pepper: the long pepper, piper Longum, and the round one, piper Cubeba.

Two other peppers are now used in perfumery. Their botanical variety being rutaceae, they are close to citrus fruits.

  • The Timut pepper with pronounced grapefruit accents.
  • Szechuan pepper 

 

False pepper

On the other hand, the pink berries considered in perfumery as a fresh spice (Schinus Molle) come from another variety of tree, which grows in Mauritania and Reunion Island. Pink pepper does not belong to the piperaceae family. It is also called false pepper. Pink pepper comes from a tree that can reach 15 m in height with fragrant evergreen foliage. The fruit is dried when it is ripe to obtain essential oil. 

 

Processing and manufacturing of pepper 

Black pepper essence is obtained by steam distillation of the ripe dried fruit. Pepper extract can be obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction, it is an extremely pure product that reproduces the scent of pepper intact.

 

Olfactory description of pepper 

Black pepper and white pepper have this spicy, woody side in common, while white pepper is more intense, warmer, almost animal. It is a note that runs through the perfume, it participates in the top, heart and base notes.

It gives a warm, spicy side to the perfume. It goes very well with woody, chypre and oriental notes.

As for false pepper, it is more of a cold, lemony spice with accents of slightly lavender bergamot. It acts as the top note of a perfume.

 

Pepper note in perfumery

Pink pepper and black pepper are used in both fragrances for men and women. Pepper is often associated with spicy and aromatic notes in order to bring freshness or nuance to certain notes.

Pink pepper is a fresh spice that has been widely used by perfumers, Miracle by Lancôme was one of the first fragrances to claim it. It then became an almost classic note next to citrus fruits, as it gives a sparkle, vibration, and a height to the perfume, without being too striking.

 

Main constituents of pepper

  • Eugenol 
  • Limonene
  • Beta Caryophyllene
  • Alpha and Beta pinenes 

 

Perfumes containing pepper

Here is a non-exhaustive list of perfumes containing pepper:

  • Poivre et Parfum Sacré by Caron
  • Flower by Kenzo
  • Vitriol d’œillet by Serge Lutens
  • Poivre Samarcande by Hermès
  • Black Pepper by Comme des Garçons
  • Poivre Piquant by l’Artisan Parfumeur
  • Vétiver by Guerlain 
  • Héritage by Guerlain
  • Gourmand Coquin by Guerlain
  • Sables by Annick Goutal 
  • Vangelis by Sylvaine Delacourte Paris

 

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.