Odour
Intensely sweet, rich, deep-fruity, grape-like, floral odor in which a distinct mustiness is characteristic, and a plum-grape-like fruity undertone lends a peculiar and very powerful, perfumery sweetness. Produces fluorescence in alcoholic dilution.
Flavour
Used in small quantities as a modifier in various citrus flavors, grape flavors, and occasionally in gooseberry, apple, tutti-frutti. A deterpenized oil is sometimes preferred but lends practically no freshness and must be backed up by sweet orange, lemon or grapefruit.
Notes
Spain supplies the best and richest oil; Italy supplies perhaps a larger quantity. Oils distilled exclusively from leaves with no unripe fruits are more valuable. Methyl-N-methylanthranilate makes up more than 50% of good Spanish oil and does not discolor or form condensation products with aldehydes.
Full Arctander text
#### Mandarin-Petitgrain Oil.
A very interesting essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves, twigs and occasionally from the small, undeveloped fruits of the mandarin tree, "European type" (see **Mandarin Oil**). Only Italy, Spain and, at times, Algeria produce small quantities of this oil. Spain supplies the best and richest oil, by far; Italy supplies perhaps a larger quantity. The Guinea (West African) mandarin petitgrain oil is derived from a tree which closely resembles the American tangerine.
**Mandarin**** ****Petitgrain**** ****Oil**** **is a dark olive-green liquid of intensely sweet, rich, deep-fruity, grape-like, floral odor in which a distinct mustiness is characteristic, and a plum-grape-like fruity undertone lends a peculiar and very powerful, perfumery sweetness. Like the peel oil, the petitgrain oil of mandarin also produces fluorescence in alcoholic dilution. Methyl-N-methylanthranilate makes up more than 50% of a good Spanish mandarin petitgrain oil.
Oils that are distilled exclusively from the leaves with no unripe fruits admixed contain fewer terpenes, and are more valuable flavor and perfume materials.
Mandarin petitgrain oil is used in small quantities as a modifier in various citrus flavors, grape flavors, and occasionally in gooseberry, apple, "tutti-frutti", etc. A deterpenized oil is sometimes preferred, but this oil lends practically no freshness and must be backed up by sweet orange, lemon or grapefruit so that some terpenes may be reintroduced in the flavor. For perfumes, the mandarin petitgrain oil is equally interesting, e.g. in fougères, Oriental bases, chypres and in modern aldehydic perfume types. It lends excellent body and undertone in neroli bases, and it is worthwhile noting that methyl-N-methylanthranilate does *not** *discolor or form condensation products in the presence of aldehydes (compare: Schiff's bases with methyl anthranilate). In pine fragrances, the mandarin petitgrain oil produces a most attractive effect of natural forest sweetness with oakmoss, pine needle oils, fir needle absolute, coumarin derivatives, aldehydes, etc. Unfortunately, the oil is not available in very large quantities. The annual production is limited to about 2 metric tons. Spain produced 300 kilos in 1957.