Note · Spices
Fenugreek
Trigonella foenum-graecum
Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA (new tab) / Wikimedia Commons (new tab), CC BY 2.0 (new tab)
Fenugreek seeds smell of maple syrup, celery and curry. Their absolute brings a warm, lightly sweet and spicy note of great singularity.
What it brings
A spicy, almost gourmand sweetness that lends mystery to the base.
Origins and uses
Fenugreek, Trigonella foenum-graecum, is an annual plant of the legume family native to North Africa and the Mediterranean; the Egyptians grew it some 4,000 years ago. Today, India, and above all Rajasthan, dominates its production. Its pods contain small, hard seeds with a strong smell and a bitter taste reminiscent of celery and walnut. Toasted and ground, they go into Indian curries and masalas, as well as ras el hanout.
In perfumery, an extract of fenugreek seeds is used, obtained with solvents or CO2. It brings a warm, spicy, slightly caramelised, almost sweet note, evoking maple syrup and roasted spices. It is used in small doses, in the heart or base.
In our catalogue, fenugreek appears in the heart of La Dolce Vita Di Bacchus by Argos, with davana and jasmine, and in the base of Memoir Woman by Amouage, with leather and oakmoss.
Text written with the help of AI, based on reference sources: encyclopedias, raw-material manufacturers and official information from the fragrance houses.
Material profile
- Family
- Spices
- Nature
- Natural material
- Botanical name
- Trigonella foenum-graecum
- Origin
- India, Egypt, Morocco.
- How it is obtained
- Volatile solvent extractionSupercritical CO₂ extraction
- On Volute
- 3 fragrances