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Caper

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES  /  fresh · green · aromatic
Caper
Caper perfume ingredient
CategoryGREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategoryfresh · green · aromatic
Origin
VolatilityHeart Note
BotanicalCapparis spinosa
AppearanceColorless to pale green liquid
Odor StrengthMedium
Producing CountriesItaly, Morocco, Spain, Turkey
PyramidHeart

Briny, pungent, mustard-sharp. Capers smell like preserved Mediterranean — salt, pickled green buds, peppery bite of mustard oil releasing.

  1. Scent
  2. The Full Story
  3. Fun Fact
  4. Extraction & Chemistry
  5. In Perfumery

Scent

Briny, pungent, green-sharp. Mustard isothiocyanate meets salt-pickle meets green herbal. Savory, not sweet — the nose-clearing sharpness of fresh capers from the jar, Mediterranean sun and sea salt embedded.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Immediately

Sharp mustard bite, briny, green pungency
After a few hours

After a few hours

Settles to salty-herbal warmth, less sharp
After a few days

After a few days

Faint mineral-salt residue, green-savory trace

The Full Story

Capers (Capparis spinosa) are pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub. The scent is dominated by methyl isothiocyanate (same mechanism as mustard and wasabi) and salt-brine of preservation.

Raw buds are milder — green, slightly peppery, faint floral hint. Once brined, the pungent, savory character develops.

An extreme niche concept used in savory, Mediterranean, or provocative compositions. Built from attenuated isothiocyanates, salt-mineral accords, and green-herbal elements.

The caper bush thrives on hot limestone walls and rocky hillsides — colonizing ancient ruins with tenacity.

This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus · Avocado

Did You Know?

Did you know?
The caper bush contains glucocapparin, a glucosinolate that breaks down into methyl isothiocyanate — the exact same chemical defense used by wasabi, horseradish, and mustard. All independently evolved the same pungent weapon.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: No perfumery extraction exists. Capers are culinary. The aromatic note is entirely synthetic concept.

Molecular FormulaComplex mixture — contains methyl isothiocyanate, benzyl isothiocyanate
CAS Number90082-57-8
Botanical NameCapparis spinosa
IFRA StatusNo known restrictions
SynonymsCAPPARIS · CAPER BUDS · PICKLED CAPERS
Physical Properties
Odor StrengthMedium
AppearanceColorless to pale green liquid

In Perfumery

Extreme niche concept providing savory, briny, mustard-sharp character. Built from attenuated isothiocyanates, salt-mineral accords, green-herbal elements. Functions in Mediterranean-themed and provocative compositions.

From the raw to the worn

This is what it becomes.