Curry Leaf

Note Profile

Botanical 4 perfumes

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About

Curry leaf is the leaf of Murraya koenigii, a small tree in the citrus family, Rutaceae. The oil smells green and spicy, with camphor and cedar-wood tones. It is not the curry spice blend and not the curry plant, Helichrysum italicum.

Scent Profile

Green and spicy, like a crushed fresh leaf, with a peppery bite. Camphor and dry cedar tones sit underneath. A faint burnt, sulphurous edge and a light citrus lift come from the fresh leaf. Some oils lean smoky and sweet-balsamic. It carries an aromatic, herbal tone, close to sage or thyme, beside the green and spice.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeHeart · ~8h lasting

Family Green & Aromatic, Spicy

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can make Curry Leaf from this natural extract.

Natural extract Curry leaf absolute

Smell words come from published sources.

A given perfume with this note may use this material, or something else.

Origin

The oil is steam-distilled or CO2-extracted from the leaves of Murraya koenigii. A solvent-extracted absolute is also made. The oil varies a lot by source. In a study of ten Indian locations, eight gave oils rich in alpha-pinene, beta-pinene or beta-phellandrene. Two gave oils rich in (E)-caryophyllene and alpha-selinene. The fresh leaf owes its typical sulphurous, burnt smell to a trace thiol, 1-phenylethane-1-thiol.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use curry leaf in small amounts to add a green, spicy, culinary edge to gourmand, woody and herbal blends. The Good Scents Company gives a maximum of 2% of the fragrance concentrate for the oil and 3% for the absolute.