Gourmand · Natural material · Heart notes, Base notes
Tonka bean
Tonka bean is the seed of the Dipteryx odorata tree from northern South America. It smells sweet like vanilla, with hints of almond and dry hay, thanks to its high coumarin content. In perfume, tonka usually sits in the heart or base notes and is used to warm up a blend.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does tonka bean smell like?
Tonka bean smells sweet and warm, like vanilla mixed with almond, with a dry side that recalls hay or tobacco leaves drying in the sun. Compared with vanilla, tonka is drier and a little powdery, so its sweetness is less creamy. On skin, tonka bean settles softly and stays close.
Coumarin, the main scent molecule in tonka beans, is also found in other plants, such as some grasses and cassia-type cinnamon, including Indonesian cinnamon from Sumatra. Grasses that contain coumarin smell like fresh hay with a touch of vanilla. That is why tonka is often described as sweet hay.
Where tonka bean and coumarin come from
Tonka bean comes from the Dipteryx odorata tree, which grows in northern South America, with Venezuela among the main producers. The seeds usually contain about 1 to 3 percent coumarin. For perfume, the dried beans are processed into an absolute, a concentrated extract that perfumers work with.
Coumarin was first isolated from tonka beans in 1820, and its name comes from coumarou, the French word for the bean. In 1868 the English chemist William Henry Perkin made coumarin synthetically, and synthetic coumarin has been widely used in perfume ever since. If you see coumarin on a perfume pyramid, it smells much like tonka bean.
Tonka bean in a perfume blend
Tonka bean is usually placed in the heart or base. It adds a warm, slightly dry sweetness and links the fresh notes at the top with the woods or amber below. How long tonka stays noticeable still varies with skin type, weather and concentration.
Coumarin has been a key part of the fougère family since 1882, usually alongside lavender and oakmoss. Classic partners for tonka bean are still lavender, vanilla, tobacco, cinnamon and almond. Tonka also appears in many gourmand and amber perfumes for both men and women.
When to wear a tonka perfume
Tonka bean feels warm, so it is easy to wear in the evening, in air-conditioned rooms or in the rainy season. On hot days, tonka paired with lavender or citrus still feels neat enough for work. Tonka with vanilla and tobacco suits evening events better.
