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Cubeb or Tailed Pepper

Q: Is Cubeb or Tailed Pepper natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of dried unripe berries. Oil yield approximately 10-18% from dried berries, making it oil-rich..

SPICES / spicy · woody · fresh

Category	SPICES
Subcategory	spicy · woody · fresh
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Piper cubeba
Appearance	Yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength	High
Producing Countries	Indonesia (Java)
Pyramid	Heart

Warm, camphoraceous pepper with eucalyptus-like freshness. Softer than black pepper, more aromatic, with a woody-green top note from cubebene and cubebol.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Warm, camphoraceous, aromatic pepper. Less sharp than black pepper, more clove-like from high eugenol. Woody-green freshness from cubebene. Rounder and more balsamic than common pepper.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Camphoraceous-fresh pepper with eucalyptus lift

After a few hours

Warm eugenol-clove spice, woody-balsamic body

After a few days

Persistent warm-woody spice, soft and round

Terroir & Chemotypes

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Cubeb (Piper cubeba) is a Javanese pepper whose dried berries retain their stalks. The essential oil is rich in cubebene (up to 18%), cubebol (up to 26% in oleoresin), eugenol (up to 34%), and methyl eugenol. Warmer and less pungent than black pepper.

The scent opens camphoraceous, moves through warm spicy heart, and settles into woody-balsamic base. High eugenol content connects it to clove.

In perfumery, cubeb oil functions as a middle-to-base spice note adding warmth and aromatic complexity without the sharp piperine bite of black pepper.

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

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Related: Bengal Pepper · Black Pepper Oil · Ghost Pepper · Guinea Pepper · Japanese Pepper · Pepper · Peppertree · Pepperwood

Did You Know?

Did you know?

King John of Portugal banned cubeb trade in 1640 to protect the black pepper market. The ban was effective enough that cubeb nearly disappeared from Western kitchens for three centuries.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of dried unripe berries. Oil yield approximately 10-18% from dried berries, making it oil-rich.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	N/A - complex essential oil (key: cubebene C₁₅H₂₄)
CAS Number	8007-87-2
Botanical Name	Piper cubeba
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	TAILED PEPPER · JAVA PEPPER · KUBEB
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	High
Appearance	Yellow to amber liquid
Flash Point	130.00 °F. TCC ( 54.44 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.85000 to 0.86000 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.46000 to 1.47500 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Middle-to-base spice note. Rich in cubebene, cubebol, eugenol. Warmer and less pungent than black pepper. Adds aromatic spice complexity to oriental, woody, and amber compositions.