Chive

NaturalGREENS, HERBS & FOUGERESgreen · fresh · floral

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

3Origins

Specimen

Allium schoenoprasum

Definition

Mild onion crossed with fresh-cut grass. Chive smells like a kitchen garden in June -- green, lightly sulphurous, dewy, more vegetal than pungent.

Garlic chives, Chinese chives

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

Asia Europe North America

Scent

Mild onion-green, grassy, faintly sulphurous but gentle. Less aggressive than spring onion, less pungent than garlic, with a dewy, vegetable-garden freshness. The sulphur note is present but soft -- think of snipping herbs into a salad rather than chopping onions. A clean, grassy sweetness sits underneath.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

Terroir & Transformation

The Full Story

Chive (Allium schoenoprasum) is the mildest member of the Allium genus. Its hollow, grass-like leaves release a gentle sulphurous-green aroma when cut -- far less aggressive than onion or garlic. The volatile profile includes dipropyl disulphide, methyl propyl trisulphide, and various green-leaf aldehydes (hexanal, trans-2-hexenal).

In perfumery, chive is a rare note used for naturalistic, hyper-green, or culinary-themed compositions. Its Allium sulphur character is mild enough to function as a green modifier without overwhelming a blend. The note provides a kitchen-garden specificity -- the difference between generic 'green' and a specific place on a summer morning.

Functionally, chive sits in the top note zone. It is volatile, fresh, and dissipates quickly, leaving a clean green-herbal impression. It can be paired with tomato leaf, basil, green pepper, and other vegetable-garden notes for ultra-naturalistic compositions.

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

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Steam distillation of fresh chive leaves is possible but not commercially standard in perfumery. The note is typically reconstructed using mild sulphur compounds (dimethyl trisulphide at trace levels), green-leaf aldehydes, and cis-3-hexenol.

Formula: Complex natural mixture (key compounds: dipropyl disulfide C₆H₁₄S₂, methyl pentyl disulfide)
CAS: 89997-59-1
Botanical: Allium schoenoprasum
Appearance: Pale green to yellowish clear liquid (essential oil)
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: Garlic chives, Chinese chives

IFRA status

See note

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

Physical properties

Note: Essential oil from Allium schoenoprasum. Rich in organosulfur compounds.

In Perfumery

Chive is a niche green top-note modifier providing mild allium character -- onion-green without the aggression of raw garlic or onion. The sulphur compounds (dipropyl disulphide, methyl propyl trisulphide) are present at low levels, functioning more as green modifiers than dominant notes. Chive works in hyper-naturalistic, vegetable-garden, and culinary-themed compositions alongside tomato leaf, basil, and green pepper.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02signature note

03lifting agent

04blender

05freshness

Available as

essential oil absolute synthetic accord