Coumarin
Coumarin is an aroma compound associated with dry hay and tonka. Learn how it differs from vanilla, why fougères use it, and what an ingredient label means.
Updated
Coumarin is an aroma compound with a sweet, dry character reminiscent of hay and tonka beans. It can suggest almond-like warmth, but its effect is often drier and more powdery than a straightforward vanilla sweetness. Chemically, it is a benzopyrone, a type of lactone.
Coumarin occurs naturally in tonka beans and is also manufactured as a perfumery material. dsm-firmenich’s tonka reference identifies it as central to the beans’ odor. A tonka extract contains other constituents too, so tonka and coumarin are not complete substitutes in a definition.
In the fougère family, its dry sweetness complements aromatic lavender and mossy notes. With vanilla or amber it can contribute a softer, dessert-like effect. The surrounding accord determines whether the result suggests dried grass, grooming products or sweet powder.
- Coumarin
- An aromatic lactone, CAS 91-64-5, associated with tonka and hay-like sweetness. It occurs naturally and is also available as a manufactured aroma material.
- Tonka bean
- The seed used to make tonka extracts. Coumarin is an important constituent, but an extract is a mixture rather than one isolated molecule.
- Fougère accord
- A perfumery structure traditionally described through lavender, coumarin and mossy notes. “Fern” is the name of the style, not a claim that the accord is extracted from ferns.
- Coumarin on a label
- An ingredient declaration identifies the substance, not its sensory prominence or whether it came from a natural extract or an added aroma material. Tonka and vanilla notes alone cannot disclose that information.