ROASTED SESAME

Roasted sesame in perfume suggests warm seeds with a toasted, nutty character, closer to browned cereal than to a fresh green plant. A useful material reference is dsm-firmenich’s Sesame SFE Absolute, described through toasted bread and cereal facets. Such warmth can give a fragrance an edible association without requiring a sugary dessert effect.

In Etat Libre d’Orange’s La Fin du Monde, roasted sesame appears with popcorn and black pepper, within a composition that also includes iris and sandalwood. This provides a powdery, woody setting for the roasted idea. Natural sesame seed extracts do exist, including the cited material made using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, but a listed sesame note does not prove that any particular extract is present. The degree of sweetness, toastiness and prominence depends on the whole composition.