Odour
Powerful, but delicately mellow and round, green-spicy odor, very closely reminiscent of the odor of the crushed seed from which it is derived. The absolute has a striking resemblance to curry powder in its complex and exciting fragrance. Richer, softer, true-to-nature cumin seed character compared to the essential oil.
Flavour
Contains more of the sweet notes from the extractive plant matter than the essential oil, making it superior to the oil in flavor work. Minimum Perceptible is 0.05 to 0.10 mg%. Suggested use level is about 0.20 to 1.00 mg%.
Notes
Superior to essential oil in flavor work due to containing more sweet notes. Less volatile and has less diffusive power than the oil, but displays richer character. Needs less fixation than the essential oil.
Full Arctander text
#### Cumin Absolute.
From **Cumin**** **fruits (seed) an **Oleoresin**** **can be prepared the usual way (see Oleoresin, Part One of this book), and by alcohol-washing of the oleoresin an **Absolute **of **Cumin **is produced.
**Cumin Absolute **is a dark olive-brown or dark yellow, viscous liquid of a powerful, but delicately mellow and round, green-spicy odor, very closely reminiscent of the odor of the crushed seed from which it is derived. The absolute has a striking resemblance to curry powder in its complex and exciting fragrance. Cumin seed is an important ingredient in curry powder.
The extracted product seems to contain more of the sweet notes from the extractive plant matter than does the essential oil. This fact makes the absolute superior to the oil in flavor work. The essential oil is extremely volatile and of tremendous diffusive power, while the absolute displays a richer, softer, true-to-nature cumin seed character.
The suggested use level for Cumin Absolute is about 0.20 to 1.00 mg%, and the **Minimum**** ****Perceptible**** **is 0.05 to 0.10 mg%. The figures are somewhat higher than those for the essential oil.
Cumin absolute is produced on a very limited scale only, but the advantage of its use in flavor compositions, particularly in extracts for pickles, etc., is obvious. It is very conceivable that cumin absolute will be a common item in future price lists. In perfumes, the intense color of the absolute is only a minor drawback, considering the minute amounts necessary for obtaining "green-spicy" effects. The absolute needs less fixation than does the essential oil, and cumin absolute blends excellently with oakmoss absolute, lavandin absolute, galbanum resinoid, etc. in lavender-fougères, chypres, aldehydic bases, etc.
For details of botanical origin, etc., see **Cumin**** ****Oil.**