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AMBRETTE SEEDS _ AMBRETTE SEEDS_01.png "AMBRETTE SEEDS")
| | | INCI: | Abelmoschus moschatus | | CAS: | 8015-62-1 | | EINECS: | 282-891-8 | | Flavouring according to EC regulation 1334/2008 |
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AMBRETTE SEEDSAbelmoschus moschatus (Malvacee)
Origin: Spain
Also known as musk mallow and abelmosk, ambrette is originally from India.
An evergreen shrub that grows to a height of 150 cm., it has hairy, palmate leaves and attractive yellow flowers whose petals are maroonish-purple at the base. The seeds give off a distinctive musky fragrance.
Ambrette is widely cultivated in Indonesia, China, Egypt, Madagascar and the West Indies.
EXTRACTION
OLFACTIVE AFFINITIES
The essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of the seeds. The yield is extremely low. An ochre-coloured, transparent fluid, the matured oil gives off a rich musky fragrance with a characteristic sweet-floral undertone. It combines well with the essential oils of Clary sage, Copaiba, Cypress, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, and Vetiver.
PROPERTIES
(according to
popular herbalist tradition)
In traditional Chinese medicine, Ambrette is a classic headache remedy.
In Egypt, the seeds are used in cooking and as a cure for bad breath.
Essential oil of Ambrette seeds is non-toxic and non-irritant. A powerful deodorant (in India its fragrance is considered to be "divine"), it has anti-depressant, stimulant and anti-spasmodic properties.
Enormously appreciated as a component in fine fragrances with a musky composition, ambrette seeds are not in fact widely used, for they're rare and extremely expensive: the essential oil is one of the five most precious oils in existence.
In the past, it was occasionally used as a flavouring agent in the high-end confectionery and patisserie business.
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