Rhubarb Sherbet Fragrances

Every spring I make a Persian rhubarb sherbet by cooking sliced stems and sugar in water. Once the flavor and pink color infuse into the syrup, I filter the liquid and add rose essence. Enjoyed from tall crystal glasses, the sherbet has a voluptuous taste that calls to mind the warm light streaming through the stained glass windows of the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, a pink-tinted jewel of Shiraz. If you would like to replicate this experience, I invite you to take a look at my recipe.

 

Since perfumery has much in common with cuisine, rendering my sherbet into a fragrance accord with a similar ornate impression is not difficult. Rhubarb has a natural affinity with rose, violet and berries, because they are complementary notes (and raspberry, in a nesting doll twist, contains elements of both rose and violet, which makes it an especially felicitous partner.)  Jo Malone White Lilac and Rhubarb explores this combination by augmenting the floral layer of rhubarb with a cocktail of rose and lilac. It’s a bright and happy perfume, with a nod to retro glamour.

Rhubarb may seem like a modern note in the perfumer’s palette, but in fact, it has a classical pedigree. A subtle effect, of green crunch and mouthwatering tartness, is found in Miss Dior L’Originale and Carven Ma Griffe. Today perfumers have more ingredients with rhubarb inflections at their disposal, using tartness to temper the sugary notes currently in vogue. For a rhubarb dessert, I might select Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll, a compote of rhubarb, grapefruit and musk, or Burberry Brit Red, a crème brûlée topped with candied jasmine petals and gingerbread.

Just as it gives an interesting twist to a gourmand, rhubarb also makes green and resinous notes shimmer. To achieve such an illusion, Olfactive Studio’s Flashback dilutes the fruit with vetiver and just enough apple for a hint of delicate sweetness. Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum is an even more striking composition–it tosses rhubarb slices with basil leaves and incense. The effect is neither liturgical nor gourmand, but as fresh and exhilarating as being caught in a spring rainstorm.

Another fragrance I like is Hermès’s Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate, a creation by perfumer Christine Nagel. Nagel is well-known for her sultry compositions that wear like cashmere wraps, and with Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate she demonstrates that it’s possible to make a cologne seductive. She pairs rhubarb with citrus and red berries, but then she adds a dollop of musk to make the drydown suave and tender. The result is similar to my sherbet—opulent, rich, and just as delicious.

What are your favorite rhubarb fragrances? Also, if you cook with rhubarb, I’d love to hear what you make. 

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18 Comments

  • Emily: My favorite rhubarb scent is Comme des Farcons’ Sherbet: Rhubarb so now I HAVE to try your recipe. Sounds divine. May 13, 2024 at 10:07am Reply

    • Victoria: I also like that fragrance. In fact, I just put it on after you mentioned it. May 13, 2024 at 10:33am Reply

    • Mirjam: Last summer I really enjoyed “Lost in the City” by Miller Harris. Tart rhubarb and geranium. It lasts pretty well, too. If I’m cooking with rhubarb I’ll either make rhubarb and strawberry jam, or some rhubarb and cardamom crumble. Love the combination of rhubarb and cardamom! May 13, 2024 at 1:13pm Reply

    • Perfumatrix: The Comme des Garcons Sherbet series was a lovely one: I got all three. The Peppermint is an excellent summer true mint cologne, but the Cinnamon offering in this series was unique to my experience . . . a truly fresh, summery cinnamon scent. (Mine, sadly, has turned now after 20 years, though the Rhubarb scent, purchased and stored identically, is fine.) May 15, 2024 at 1:06pm Reply

  • Galina: Pony Boy is my absolute favorite rhubarb fragrance. It’s mouth watering and photorealistic. Also, I know Rose Atlantic isn’t a rhubarb fragrance on paper but it’s a rhubarb fragrance to me. I don’t even smell the rose in it. It’s one of my go to’s in the summer heat. Lastly, Byredo’s Pulp has a nice rhubarb note to my nose. Once again, not a rhubarb fragrance on paper but I never really care what’s officially listed and what isn’t. The rhubarb in Pulp is however not as juicy and fresh as in the other two, it’s more jammy. May 13, 2024 at 11:33am Reply

  • Aurora: What an elegant recipe, Victoria.
    I had a look but don’t have many rhubarb perfumes, but I do have Ma Griffe and Miss Dior, so not totally bereft and I notice that I have a small bottle of Honour and it may well have been the rhubarb note which made it palatable for me as I usually find tuberose too heady. May 13, 2024 at 3:09pm Reply

  • Alityke: I love many Rhubarb fragrances & rhubarb itself. I have rhubarb in my garden. I checked it earlier & was pleased to see the one big crown has split itself & I now have two crowns. I’ll split them properly in autumn when they’re dormant. Once both establish I’ll force one & let the other be to extend my season.
    Perfumes? Hermes Escarlate & Rose Ikebana, 4160Tuesdays Rhubarb & Custard £ Rhubarb & Citrus Cologne as well as Molton Brown Delicious Rose & Rhubarb. These have all been in or are in my collection.
    Recipes? Rhubarb sauce with mackerel or herring is delicious. It can also be used instead of apple sauce with pork. The sugar needs to be carefully balanced. Pudding is where this vegetable shines. Rhubarb crumble is the classic, in April on cold days I add stem ginger & sweeten with the delicious syrup. In summer pink varieties make a wonderful fool with a little rose water as per your sherbet. One of my favourite breakfasts is rhubarb stewed with blood orange segments over thick Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts.
    I’m Yorkshire burn & bred. Can you tell? May 13, 2024 at 4:01pm Reply

    • Klaas: Oh my, reading your recipes I’m thinking rhubarb & orange crumble with hazelnuts and maybe a little stick of cinnamon? What a treat!! May 13, 2024 at 5:20pm Reply

      • Alityke: Let me know how it eats please, I may do the same. I like adding the segments & only the juice that comes away whilst cutting May 15, 2024 at 5:43am Reply

  • Klaas: Encelade by Quentin Bische for Marc Antoine Barrois is a sensational rhubarb fragrance! It’s paired with vetiver and it is one of the most tenacious and most diffusive perfumes I know. It’s an explosion of pink/green tartness, both festive and slightly eerie…..I love it but I’m sure it’s not everybody’s cup of tea….. May 13, 2024 at 5:27pm Reply

  • Jessica: Strawberry-rhubarb pie, with a scoop of food vanilla ice cream, is one of my favorite desserts!

    I do like 4160 Tuesdays Rhubarb Custard fragrance a lot. My sample is all used up! And I’m glad I bought od bottle of the limited edition Jo Malone Tangy Rhubarb a few years back. May 13, 2024 at 8:24pm Reply

  • Eric Brandon: I love rhubarb as an ingredient, and always enjoy the perfume note as well. I’m so pleased you mentioned Burberry Brit Red, which was one of my first scents. I find it still smells great, not too sweet with a complex gingerbread note. May 15, 2024 at 8:29pm Reply

  • Vincent: Hi Victoria,
    Thanks a lot for this great post! I’d love to check your Persian rhubarb sherbet recipe, but the link under “my recipe” takes me to the page “The Scent of Rhubarb” and I do not find the recipe there. 🤔
    Have I missed something?
    Kind regards,
    Vincent May 17, 2024 at 7:34am Reply

  • Debi Sen Gupta: Jo malone had a summer limited edition in the milk bottle shaped bottles. It’s fresh and fruity and notes of blackberry. Was called tangy rhubarb. May 17, 2024 at 12:02pm Reply

  • roxann: I like 4160 Tuesdays Rhubarb Custard. It reminds me of a favorite recipe my mom makes. It’s called Rhubarb pudding, but it is more like cake/pudding. I had Commes d’carcon Rhubarb Sherbert. It was nice! May 17, 2024 at 10:35pm Reply

  • emercycrite: Love the Hermes. May 21, 2024 at 5:58am Reply

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