Chili pepper

Latin name: Capsicum
Origin: Plante
Part used: Fruits
Type: Naturel

Chili pepper is the fruit of Capsicum, a genus in the nightshade family, like tomato and eggplant, native to Central and South America. In perfumery, its warm, lively note comes from a CO2 extract of the fruit or from an accord that recreates it; Viktor & Rolf placed it at the heart of Spicebomb in 2012.

One genus, five cultivated species

The name chili pepper covers the plants of the genus Capsicum, including five cultivated species: Capsicum annuum, the most widespread, which yields Espelette pepper and paprika as well as the bell pepper, and Capsicum baccatum, chinense, frutescens and pubescens.

The genus originated in South America, in an area between Brazil and Bolivia, and the peoples of the Americas were growing it long before 1492. Christopher Columbus brought it back to Europe on returning from his first voyage, at the end of the 15th century.

In perfumery

Perfumery has a CO2 extract of the fruit, an oleoresin that the flavor industry uses mainly in food. In perfumes, the chili note comes from this extract or from an accord that recreates it, for a warm, lively touch in the top or the heart.

Chili pepper should not be confused with allspice, the dried berry of a Caribbean tree, Pimenta dioica, whose berry and leaf perfumers distill to obtain an essential oil rich in eugenol.

In perfumes

Viktor & Rolf puts chili at the heart of Spicebomb, created by Olivier Polge in 2012, with saffron, leather, tobacco and vetiver. Juliette Has A Gun places a red chili accord at the heart of Purple Trouble, between a wild blackberry and musks.