Chicory

NaturalGREENS, HERBS & FOUGERESearthy · green · fresh

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

4Origins

Specimen

Cichorium intybus

Definition

Roasted, dark, bitter-vegetal. Chicory smells like burnt coffee grounds mixed with damp earth and a faint caramel sweetness underneath the char.

GREEN EARTHY HERBAL WARM FRESH BITTER

RADICCHIO ENDIVE BLUE DANDELION

Type: Ingredient
Olfactive family: Aromatic
Subfamily: Herbal aromatics
Cluster: Green-herbal notes
Source: leaves and flowering tops
Chemical class: complex natural (essential oil)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Belgium France India Netherlands

Scent

Dark roast bitterness cut with caramel sweetness and a peppery-woody undertone. Less acidic than coffee, less smoky than vetiver, with a particular vegetal earthiness -- like root vegetables charred in embers. The rotundone content gives chicory a spiced edge that coffee lacks.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

Terroir & Transformation

The Full Story

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a European perennial whose roasted root has served as a coffee surrogate for over two centuries, most famously in New Orleans cafe au lait blends. In perfumery, the interest lies in its roasted-root aroma: a dark, bitter, earthy scent distinct from actual coffee.

The key odorants in roasted chicory, identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry, include rotundone (woody-peppery, its most potent single odorant), dihydromaltol, cyclotene, maltol, HDMF (Furaneol), and sotolon. These overlap significantly with roasted coffee chemistry but in different ratios -- chicory reads less bitter, more caramel-sweet, and with a particular peppery-woody undertone absent in coffee.

In fragrance, chicory works as a dark gourmand modifier in the heart-to-base range. It provides the bitterness of coffee without the acidity, and the earthiness of vetiver without the smokiness. The note functions well in chypre-gourmand hybrids, tobacco compositions, and dark-wood accords where controlled bitterness is needed.

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Related: Alpha Pinene · Angelica · Angelica Root · Angelica Root Oil · Artemisia · Barrenwort · Beachheather · Behini Tree

Did You Know?

During Napoleon's Continental Blockade (1806-1813), which cut off coffee imports to France, roasted chicory root became the standard coffee replacement across northern Europe. The practice persists in New Orleans, where chicory-coffee blends remain the local standard.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Roasted chicory root can be subjected to CO2 or solvent extraction, but no standardised essential oil exists. In perfumery, the note is typically reconstructed using combinations of coffee absolute, sotolon, maltol, and woody-peppery elements.

Formula: N/A — complex natural extract (contains inulin, lactucin, lactucopicrin)
CAS: 129893-14-7
Botanical: Cichorium intybus
Appearance: Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: RADICCHIO ENDIVE BLUE DANDELION

IFRA status

See note

No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Note: Cichorium intybus extract. Not a standard essential oil in perfumery. Root extract contains inulin, sesquiterpene lactones (lactucin, lactucopicrin). Used as an evocative note.

In Perfumery

Chicory functions as a dark gourmand heart-to-base modifier. It provides controlled bitterness without coffee's acidity, making it useful in chypre-gourmand hybrids, tobacco constructions, and dark-wood accords. Key odorants include rotundone (peppery), sotolon (maple-curry), and the maltol-cyclotene family (caramel-sweet). The note grounds overly sweet gourmand compositions and adds a roasted-earth quality to woody bases. No PREMIEREPEAU fragrance currently declares chicory.

Role in the formula

01diffusion enhancer

02modifier

03signature note

04blender

05freshness

Available as

essential oil