Rosemary : Herb and Note
Herbs can add a bracing touch to fragrance and food. Elisa explores all facets of rosemary.
I never much liked the dried version of rosemary – neither the flat, somewhat dusty flavor nor the stabby texture, like dead pine needles, appealed. The first time I tried fresh rosemary, I was blown away. It felt like another species entirely – firm but pliant in texture (easily chopped with a sharp knife) and with a full, complex, room-filling scent when you cook with it.
Just by looking at it you could guess that rosemary smells piney – woodsy and green. It contains camphor, that bracing, pungently minty note common to evergreen trees, mothballs, and Tiger balm, as well as caffeic acid, a phenolic substance also found in eucalyptus bark. But my favorite thing about fresh rosemary, which I rarely see mentioned, is a distinctly buttery note – a savory milky aspect that makes anything you add it to smell and taste extra rich.
Janine Novak in Scent Diary: Dried Roses for Inspiration: For me it’s the lilacs. The epitome of spring and so many memories of my childhood with my grandmother. January 25, 2023 at 1:27pm