Sesame

Be that as it may, whether turned into oil or used for its seeds, sesame opens the door to our stomachs but also to our nostrils thanks to its remarkable hazelnut-like scent. It was only logical that the scent of sesame would interest perfumers in search of original raw materials that are both gourmand and terribly exotic.

Sesame and its seeds of immortality through history

The small herbaceous plant that holds the precious sesame seeds originates from India, which remains one of the largest producers of sesame in the world.

The cultivation and production of the sesame seed is nonetheless not new, and its use is ancestral, since sesame is believed to have been the first plant from which oil was extracted. Both Chinese and Indian medicine attribute to it numerous therapeutic properties, including laxative effects as well as an action on various cardiovascular diseases.

The sesame seed as known in Europe is pale, whereas in Asia sesame can also be black or brown. However, once roasted, the delicate hazelnut scent released by sesame fills the senses and hits the mark. All the more so since sesame is widely used in Asian or North African cuisine. Naturally, sesame appeals to gourmands and to perfume creators alike; unable to use sesame oil directly in their compositions, they worked on recreating the sesame note in order to offer its gourmand facets.

The sesame note in perfumery

Quite logically, the sesame note in perfumery mainly evokes the Middle East and Asia through its slightly spicy exotic facet, but also through its gourmand facet with its pleasant scent of caramelized hazelnuts. Thus it is mainly oriental fragrances, both masculine and feminine, that currently use the sesame note.

The vanilla oriental Ambre Narguilé, part of the four-fragrance set Hermessence, created by the house of Hermès in 2004, plays with the sesame note as a top note accompanied by rum, cinnamon and caramel to enter a delightfully oriental olfactory world while remaining gourmand.

The woody orientals Very Irresistible for Men and ONDE Extase play with the sesame note, sometimes in the heart, sometimes in the base, to create mysterious and enticing notes. In Onde Extase, a lovely feminine fragrance inspired by the art of geishas, the sesame note blends with cedarwood and white musks to offer a deep, exotic sillage. In Very Irresistible for Men, the sesame note pairs with mocha to create gourmand, shimmering heart notes.

Despite this family of orientals clearly associated with the sesame note, some perfumers play with the little seed’s different facets to create original compositions. The floral-fruity La Fin du Monde by État Libre d’Orange, for instance, uses the sesame note to create a powerful and original base note through its pairing with sandalwood, while in Diptyque’s Florabellio, sesame likewise plays the role of a sillage that is both deep and yet remains typical and caramelized.