Aroma Wearers: Who Carries This Scented Charm?

Aroma is a distinctive, usually pleasant smell, especially of spices, wines, and plants. It is often used to describe the fragrance of food and drinks, such as freshly baked bread, coffee, and wine. Aromas can evoke strong sensations and emotions, making them an essential part of our sensory experiences. In addition to its literal meaning, the word aroma can also be used metaphorically to describe abstract concepts or environments with a lingering smell-like quality, such as the atmosphere of a place or the impression of wealth and privilege.

Aromatherapy and essential oils

Aromatherapy is a form of treatment that uses extracts from plants called essential oils. These oils are made from flower, herb, and tree parts, such as bark, roots, peels, and petals. The process of extraction does not change the chemistry of the plant, resulting in pure essential oils that are not blended with other chemicals or fragrances.

Essential oils have a range of applications, including aromatherapy and skin application during massages or baths. They are also used in diffusers, candles, and humidifiers to fill spaces with luxurious and relaxing fragrances.

Some popular essential oils include:

• Lavender
• Eucalyptus
• Lemongrass
• Sweet Orange
• Peppermint
• Tea Tree
• Lemon
• Chamomile
• Cedarwood
• Bergamot

Aromatherapy is believed to work by activating smell receptors in the nose, which send messages to the brain via the nervous system. It may stimulate areas of the brain like the limbic system, which is involved in emotions and memories. Additionally, aromas can prompt the hypothalamus to release feel-good brain chemicals such as serotonin.

Research suggests that aromatherapy can offer health benefits such as:

• Reducing stress, anxiety, and depression
• Improving relaxation
• Enhancing the quality of life for people with long-term health issues like dementia
• Alleviating certain types of pain
• Fighting bacteria when applied to the skin
• Reducing side effects of cancer treatment, such as nausea and pain

Food and drink

The aroma of food and drink is an important factor in our enjoyment of them. Our sense of smell helps us to discover and savour our food and drink, and it's often the aroma that reaches our nose before the food or drink reaches our mouth.

The aroma of food and drink is influenced by a variety of factors, including the ingredients used, the cooking or preparation methods, and the addition of fragrances or essential oils. In ancient times, fragrances were often used to scent food and drink, with ancient Persians and Arabs distilling fragrance from plants, and ancient Indian and Roman cuisines making use of musk, ambergris, and flower waters to add fragrance to their dishes.

Today, the use of aroma in food and drink continues to be important, with businesses using synthetic blends of smells to entice customers, and innovative chefs using aroma to invoke nostalgia and enhance the flavour of their dishes.

The Science of Aroma in Food and Drink

The aroma of food and drink is created by volatile compounds, which are released from the food or drink and transported to the olfactory epithelium, where they are detected by the olfactory receptors. These volatile compounds can be naturally present in the food or drink, or they can be added as flavourings or fragrances.

The perception of aroma can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the concentration and characteristics of the volatile compounds, as well as the composition of the food matrix. For example, in high-fat foods, the release of volatile compounds is slower compared to low-fat and fat-free products, affecting the intensity of the aroma.

Enhancing Aroma in Food and Drink

There are several ways in which aroma can be enhanced or manipulated in food and drink:

• Use of fragrances or essential oils: This is a traditional technique that has been used for thousands of years, with ingredients such as musk, ambergris, and flower waters being used to add fragrance to dishes.
• Aroma encapsulation: This technique involves encapsulating aroma compounds within another material, which can help to protect them from degradation, control their release, and improve their stability.
• Aroma recovery: This process involves recovering aroma compounds from natural sources using methods such as adsorption, steam distillation, solvent extraction, or membrane processes.
• Aroma creation: With advances in chemistry and synthetic ingredients, new scents can be created to complement or replace natural ingredients. This can be more cost-effective and allow for a wider range of aroma options.
• Aroma delivery systems: Innovative delivery systems such as aromatic cutlery, atomisers, and dry ice can be used to maximise the aroma of food and drink.

The Future of Aroma in Food and Drink

With advancements in technology, the future of aroma in food and drink holds exciting possibilities:

• Digital smells: The development of digital smells and e-noses could allow for the transmission of aromas over the internet or as part of virtual reality experiences.
• Scent-enabled plug-ins: Scent-enabled plug-ins for mobile devices could enhance the olfactory component of our multisensory food experiences.
• Artificial intelligence: AI algorithms can be used to collect and analyse consumer data on aroma preferences, enabling personalised flavour recommendations.
• Aroma tech: Companies like Aromyx and Aromajoin are developing aroma tech, such as the Aroma Shooter, which connects to PCs and smartphones to deliver specific aromas.

Wines and spirits

The aromas of wines and spirits are incredibly diverse, and the art of wine-tasting involves using one's olfactory senses to detect these aromas. The human tongue can only detect basic tastes like sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, and savouriness. However, the wide array of fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woody flavours present in wine and spirits come from aroma notes sensed by the olfactory bulb.

In wine tasting, professionals distinguish between "aromas" and a wine's "bouquet". "Aromas" refer to the smells unique to the grape variety, while the "bouquet" refers to the smells that arise from the chemical reactions of fermentation and ageing. As a wine ages, new smells are created from chemical reactions among acids, sugars, alcohols, and phenolic compounds.

The aromas in wines and spirits can be categorised into three types: primary, secondary, and tertiary aromas. Primary aromas are those specific to the grape variety itself, such as cherry, cassis, violet, truffle, pepper, raspberry, and blackberry. Secondary aromas are derived from the winemaking process and the yeast used for fermentation, such as vanilla, tobacco, tea, lemon, and mushroom. Tertiary aromas arise during the ageing process, especially when the wine is aged in wooden barrels, and can include chocolate, strawberry, quince, and fig.

The complex array of aromas in wines and spirits can be further grouped into aroma families, inspired by the specific smells of different plants, animals, or minerals. Here are some examples of aroma families:

• Floral aromas: rose, violet, honeysuckle, honey, linden, verbena, and orange flower.
• Fruit aromas: cassis, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, apricot, peach, grapefruit, banana, and lemon.
• Vegetable aromas: pine, truffle, hay, tobacco, grass, mushroom, and pepper.
• Animal aromas: leather, amber, musk, and dry meat.
• Mineral aromas: quartz, flint, and chalk.
• Burnt aromas: pastry, toast, caramel, tea, coffee, and chocolate.
• Herbs and spices: pepper, thyme, cinnamon, rosemary, basil, and bay leaves.

Additionally, there are odours that indicate defects or deterioration in wines and spirits, such as cork, mould, detergent, rotten egg, rubber, and sulphur.

The art of detecting and describing aromas in wines and spirits is a fascinating and complex process that enhances the tasting experience and provides insight into the origin and age of the beverage.

Nature and plants

Plants produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that help them interact with their environment. These VOCs are used to attract pollinators and seed dispersers and to defend against herbivores, pathogens, and parasites. VOCs are also important to humans, as they are used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

Flowers

Flowers release aromas to attract pollinators and humans who consume the fruit. Floral scents are a complex mixture of volatiles, including terpenoids, phenylpropanoids/benzenoids, and fatty acid derivatives. Terpenoids are the most diverse class of VOCs, with over 40,000 structures.

Some flowers with distinct fragrances include:

• Ginger flowers
• Jasmine
• Narcissus
• Roses
• Lilium
• Hedychium
• Lavender
• Tulips
• Orchids

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables generate a variety of volatile compounds that contribute to their distinctive aromas and flavors. The most common volatile compounds found in fruits are esters, aldehydes, alcohols, lactones, ketones, terpenoids, and apocarotenoids.

Some fruits and vegetables with scented leaves include:

• Bayberry
• Bee balm
• Bluebeard
• Catmint
• Catnip
• Creeping thyme
• English lavender
• Sweet woodruff
• Tansy
• Tricolor sage
• Wormwood
• Yarrow
• Citrus fruits
• Plumeria
• Cuban oregano
• Eucalyptus
• Gardenia
• Hoya
• Oncidium orchids
• Passionflowers
• Stephanotis
• Begonias

Perfume and cosmetics

Perfumes are used to emit pleasant odours, while cosmetics can be used to alter one's appearance. Cosmetics include a wide range of products such as creams, lotions, deodorants, antiperspirants, sunscreens, makeup, hair products, bath salts, soaps, and shaving products.

Perfumes and cosmetics often contain preservatives to prevent skin infections and product decomposition. They also contain acids, alkalis, buffers, and neutralizers to maintain an acidity level that prevents skin irritation and maintains product formulation. Moisture content controls are added to prevent powders from becoming damp and creams and lotions from drying out. Colouring agents are used to disguise, decolourize, or impart colour, and flavourings and fragrances are used to produce pleasant odours.

Some popular perfume and cosmetic brands include Dior, Guerlain, Mugler, Dolce & Gabbana, Lancôme, and Clinique.

Frequently asked questions