Ingredient Guide
Caraway is a plant in the parsley family, also known as hime-uikyō, carum, or Persian cumin. Its name derives from the Arabic name karauya. Its flowers are white, occasionally pink.
The seeds, known as caraway seeds, are the part mainly used as a fragrance material. Its principal aroma component is called carvone, and the scent is spicy, aromatic, herbal, and sharp. It also has a scent reminiscent of bitter citrus fruits such as bergamot. Because it is used in rye bread, it brings rye bread to mind.
The seeds look similar to cumin seeds and are easily confused with them, but cumin contains aroma components such as cuminal and limonene, giving it a scent that is similar to, yet distinct from, caraway.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
Caraway is a natural essential oil obtained from the fruits of Carum carvi. Its main constituents, carvone and limonene, bring together sharp herbs, sweet spice, and a hint of citrus to form a distinctive aroma reminiscent of rye bread. In perfume, it serves as an accent that adds a dry pungency to sweet compositions or a warm outline to herbal accords. The essential oil is not a single molecule: its composition varies with origin and distillation conditions, so even within caraway there is a range in the expression of green and sweet notes.
Choosing Caraway Fragrances
Would you enjoy caraway’s spice with powdery iris or creamy fig milk? That is one difference between the two fragrances below. Coriander and clove can bring out more of the warm, seed-like spice.
Fragrances to Explore
BUKHARA (Gallivant)
Caraway is layered with pear, coriander and bergamot, leading into iris, apricot and osmanthus. Seed-like spice alongside powdery flowers and fruit.
CLARY FIG (Carl Kling Parfums)
Caraway and lemon are paired with clary sage, fig milk, musk and sandalwood. For those drawn to green herbs and the milky side of fig.
Find Your Next Fragrance
To explore more fragrances through the notes you enjoy, open our Fragrance Finder. Choose “Favorite fragrances & notes”, then search under “Favorite notes”. Select from the suggestions shown and press “Next”. You can start with notes even if you do not have a favorite fragrance.
