Odour
Pungent, herbaceous-spicy and medicinal odor, reminiscent of red Thyme. However, unlike the rich odor of red thyme, Ajowan Oil presents a sharper, more cymene-like topnote and very little herbaceous-mellow body. The fresh, almost green-cuminic topnote is characteristic of Ajowan Oil.
Flavour
Somewhat sweeter than that of thyme, sharp and biting at high concentration, sweet and pleasant near the Minimum Perceptible which is about 0.10 to 0.20 mg%. Suggested use level is 2.0 to 3.0 mg%, but may go higher in products such as meat sauces, pickles, etc.
Notes
Hardly used outside its countries of production. Does not present any distinct advantage over Thyme Oil. Years ago used for isolation of Thymol, now produced synthetically. Not likely to attain a permanent place among perfumer's or flavorist's materials. In India, customary to extract fruits or entire herb with diluted alcohol to prepare tincture used as germicide in local medicine.
Full Arctander text
#### Ajowan.
**Ajowan Oil **is steam distilled from the fruits (= seeds) or, occasionally, from the whole overground plant of Ptychotis Ajowan, also known as **Carum**** ****Ajowan**** **or **Carum**** ****Copticum**. This herb is cultivated in India, in the Seychelle Islands and in the West Indies (Montserrat).
It is customary in India to extract the fruits or the entire herb with diluted alcohol in order to prepare a tincture. This tincture is a powerful germicide and it has attained rather wide-spread use in local medicine in areas where the plant grows.
**Ajowan Oil **is a yellow-orange to pale brownish or red-brown liquid of a pungent, herbaceousspicy and medicinal odor, reminiscent of red Thyme. However, unlike the rich odor of red thyme, Ajowan Oil presents a sharper, more cymene-like topnote and very little herbaceousmellow body. The fresh, almost green-cuminic topnote is characteristic of Ajowan Oil. Its flavor is somewhat sweeter than that of thyme, sharp and biting at high concentration, sweet and pleasant near the Minimum Perceptible which is about 0.10 to 0.20 mg%. Suggested use level is 2.0 to 3.0 mg%, but may go higher in products such as meat sauces, pickles, etc.
**Ajowan Oil **is hardly used outside its countries of production. It does not present any distinct advantage over **Thyme**** ****Oil**. Years ago, ajowan oil was used for the isolation of **Thymol**, but this chemical is now produced synthetically. The thymol content in ajowan oil is about equal to that of an average grade Spanish red thyme oil, but, as mentioned above, the latter yields a richer body-note in perfumes than does the ajowan oil. The oil could find use in soap perfumes, detergents, air-fresheners, etc. and in flavors for canned foods, but it is not likely that **Ajowan **oil will ever attain a permanent place among the materials on the perfumer's or flavorist's shelf.