Coumarin is a major component of tonka bean (in Japanese), and its scent is described as warm and almond-like, hay-like, or reminiscent of sakuramochi, a Japanese cherry-leaf rice cake.
The description “like sakuramochi” is particular to Japan, but why does it smell that way? The cherry leaves used for sakuramochi naturally contain coumarin and coumaric-acid conjugates (the blossoms contain small amounts). When the leaves are salt-pickled, or crushed, the coumaric-acid conjugates react with enzymes in the leaves, producing coumarin and strengthening the scent. This is what gives sakuramochi wrapped in salt-pickled cherry leaves its distinctive aroma, and why smelling coumarin brings sakuramochi to mind.
Another plant rich in coumarin is bison grass, named because bison like to eat it. Vodka made with this grass is called Żubrówka (in Japanese), and its aroma feels almost like sakuramochi turned into an alcoholic drink.
William Perkin succeeded in synthesizing coumarin in 1868. In 1882, Houbigant introduced a perfume called Fougère Royale using this synthetic coumarin, marking the emergence of modern perfumery combining synthetic and natural fragrance materials.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
Coumarin is an aroma compound also found in nature, in plants such as tonka bean and woodruff. Its sweet character recalls cut hay, almonds, and a faint trace of vanilla, giving perfume soft powderiness and warmth. Fragrance materials include coumarin as a single compound, natural extracts such as tonka bean, and reconstruction blends that create a similar scent by combining nuances of tobacco, fruit, wood, and hay. It adds shades of dry grass to sweetness and gives a composed foundation to a fragrance.
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