In this monthly column, senior flavorist Judith Michalski describes the odor, taste and suggested applications for several materials.
For example, honey distillate organic 6000175, natural from Alfrebro is GRAS-approved. Its odor at 100% exhibits sweet, brown, honey and slightly floral notes. Its taste at 0.2% is characterized by a slightly brown, sweet and honey with a floral nuance. Possible applications include all honey flavors. Its water solubility makes it a natural fit in beverages such as ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, vodka, wine, still and sparkling waters, and juice.
This edition features discussions on saffron resinoid, anisyl acetate natural, osmanthus absolute and more.
Author’s note: Thanks to Prinova for hosting this month’s evaluation and the following guest participants for their comments: Laura Partida, Lauren Kotula, Maria Garzon and Julia Linsky.
Honey distillate organic 6000175
Source: Alfrebro
GRAS, natural
Odor: @ 100%. Sweet, brown, honey and slightly floral.
Taste: @ 0.2%. Slightly brown, sweet and honey with a floral nuance.
Possible applications: The very characteristic profile of this product will enhance all honey flavors. Its water solubility makes it a natural fit in beverages such as ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, vodka, wine, still and sparkling waters, and juice.
Alfrebro: www.alfrebro.com
Lemon oil ES3X natural 1140087
Source: Alfrebro
FEMA# 2625, CAS# 8008-56-8, natural, Citrus limon L. Burm.
Odor: @ 100%. Waxy, slightly floral, citrus, lemon, limelike, citronellalike and slightly oxidized.
Taste: @ 10 ppm. Lemon, slightly floral, citrus, sweet and slightly waxy.
Taste: @ 20 ppm. Lemon, waxy, peely, citrus and floral.
Possible applications: The unique floral quality of this citrus oil will add interesting top notes in most citrus flavors including bergamot, citronella, mandarin and grapefruit.
Alfrebro: www.alfrebro.com
Saffron resinoid
Source: Robertet
GRAS, CAS# 8022-19-3, natural, Crocus sativus L.
Odor: @ 1%. Sweet, fruity, brown, slightly woody and tobaccolike.
Taste: @ 2 ppm. Sweet, brown, woody, slightly phenolic and tobaccolike.
Taste: @ 5 ppm. Fruity, brown, woody, tobaccolike, slightly phenolic and tealike.
Possible applications: While a very expensive ingredient, this will add interest to dried fruit flavors like prune, raisin, date and apricot. It also will reinforce sweet, brown notes in molasses, rum, whiskey, sherry, marsala wine and red wines like merlot and cabernet sauvignon.
Robertet: www.robertet.com
Anisyl acetate natural
Source: Sigma-Aldrich
FEMA# 2098, CAS# 104-21-2, natural
Natural occurrence: Osmanthus, cassie and cananga.
Odor: @ 1%. Sweet, slightly cherrylike, slightly floral and vanillalike with a hint of anise.
Taste: @ 2 ppm. Sweet, vanillalike, slightly anisic and powdery.
Taste: @ 5 ppm. Sweet, cherry/berrylike and slightly anisic with a powdery nuance.
Possible applications: This “old-line” chemical will enhance cherry, berry and vanilla flavors at low levels. Other flavors where it will be appreciated are anise, licorice, bitter almond and soda flavors like cola, cherry cola and root beer.
Sigma-Aldrich: www.safcsupplysolutions.com
Osmanthus absolute
Source: Robertet
FEMA# 3750, CAS# 68917-05-5, natural, Osmanthus fragrans Lour.
Odor: @ 1%. Fruity, sweet, fruity, berrylike, juicy and fresh.
Taste: @ 0.5 ppm. Slightly floral, fruity, berrylike and sweet.
Taste: @ 1 ppm. Fruity, floral sweet, red berrylike and slightly waxy.
Possible applications: This costly absolute is very effective at low dosages to brighten berry notes in flavors like raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, elderberry, strawberry, grape and cherry. Other areas where it will shine are in peach, apricot, apple, plum, red licorice, Swedish fish and ice wine flavors.
Robertet: www.robertet.com
Roasted cocoa extract
Source: Biolandes
GRAS, CAS# 84649-99-0, natural, Theobroma cacao L.
Odor: @ 100%. Sweet, cocoa, dark chocolate, rich and tobaccolike.
Taste: @ 0.1%. Cocoa, sweet and dark chocolate.
Possible applications: All things chocolate will be made even better with the use of this extract; including brownie, fudge, devil’s food, mocha and chocolate malt. A touch of this product in roast beef may even enhance the brown, roasted goodness.
Biolandes: www.biolandes.com
Mirasol straight extract 2
Source: Synthite
GRAS, CAS# 122384-75-2, natural, Capsicum baccatum
Odor: @ 100%. Green, slightly pungent, vegetablelike, chili pepper, roasted and savory.
Taste: @ 20 ppm. Savory, green, chili pepper and vegetablelike with a hint of cooked tomato.
Possible applications: The cooked pepper/vegetable notes of this oil-soluble extract will impart savory depth to chili flavors as well as spice blends, salsa, sriracha, tomato, green pepper and grilled fruit flavors—especially pineapple.
Synthite: www.synthite.com
Lavandin oil, grosso P&N
Source: Bontoux
FEMA# 2618, CAS# 8022-15-9, natural, Lavandula hydrida
Odor: @ 100%. Sweet, perfumy, cooling, floral and lavanderlike.
Taste: @ 1 ppm. Cooling, herbal, floral, perfumy and slightly bitter.
Taste: @ 2 ppm. Floral, cooling, slightly fruity, bitter, tealike, herbal and sweet.
Possible applications: This hybrid of lavender is a bit more floral and less fruity than lavender. It will fit well in floral types of flavors such as blueberry, blackberry, grape, raspberry and even lemon and lime, albeit at very low levels. Tea flavors as well as mints are also good targets for this essential oil.
Bontoux: www.bontoux.com
γ–Octalactone, natural
Source: Natural Advantage
FEMA# 2796, CAS# 104-50-7, natural
Natural occurrence: Apricot, beer, cognac, chicken, mango, peach and strawberry.
Odor: @ 100%. Waxy, coconutlike, slightly woody, fatty, creamy peachlike and coumarinic.
Taste: @ 2 ppm. Rich, fatty, sweet, creamy, coconutlike and slightly milky.
Taste: @ 5 ppm. Creamy, coconutlike, sweet, slightly nutty and waxy.
Possible applications: This delicious lactone will most certainly reinforce character notes in coconut, vanilla and coumarin-type flavors. Sweet dairy flavors like dulce de leche, crème brûlée, custard, milk chocolate and caramel as well as nut flavors like Macadamia, pecan and almond also are good applications for this product.
Natural Advantage: www.natural-advantage.net
d-Camphor, natural
Source: Sigma-Aldrich
FEMA# 2230, CAS# 464-49-3, natural
Natural occurrence: Basil, nutmeg, rosemary, cinnamon, sage and sassafras.
Odor: @ 1%. Cooling, slightly geosminlike, piney, green and woody.
Taste: @ 1 ppm. Musty, geosminlike, cooling and tingling.
Taste: @ 2 ppm. Musty, geosminlike, cooling, slightly woody and piney.
Possible applications: The cooling nature of this component is much less aggressive than menthol or eucalyptol and will contribute interest to mints, lime and spice flavors like clove, cardamom and cinnamon. Liquor flavors, such as tequila and herbal liqueurs, will also be enhanced with low levels of this material.
Sigma-Aldrich: www.safcsupplysolutions.com
