Spices: Redrawing Flavor & Scent and Confounding the Mind

I have long communicated on these pages the idea that context makes for a powerful shift in our perception of fragrance and that is not only culturally, but quite literally true as well. A small inclusion of rum brings the catty whiff of blackcurrant buds in a herbal composition with mint. Violet and violet leaf takes on the nuance of pale tea incorporated into the structure of a citrusy floral. The sweet fruitiness of pink jasmine takes on bubble-gym hues paired with nectarous floral notes. The fine bubbles of champagne bring out the flavor of strawberries and adding ground cinnamon and cardamom to cooked grains imparts a sweet, earthy depth.

It's perhaps just as well that fine cuisine has long capitalized on this interplay between sensory stimuli in a single dish to render dishes worthy of a Michelin guide star. Spices in particular hold a complex fascination; a currency in ancient times, prized for their ability to preserve sensitive materials, like meat, fish and fruit, they have not lost their mystical rapport with our innermost illusionist, combining in novel ways that bring out hidden attributes.

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Below please find excerpted from  “The Transformational Power of the Right Spice” by Alex Halberstadt in the New York Times magazine, a profile of “spice therapist” Lior Lev Sercarz and his shop La Boîte at the far west side of Midtown Manhattan.

 "When I wondered out loud about how much spices could really matter — weren’t they a mere flourish after the difficult work of cooking was completed? — Lev Sercarz invited me for a demonstration in his home kitchen. There, he seared filet mignon coated with Pierre Poivre (La Boîte Blend No. 7, with eight varieties of pepper); imagine an IMAX version of steak au poivre, the meat tasting the way neon looks. Then he did the same with Kibbeh (Blend No. 15, mostly cumin, garlic and parsley), and I could have sworn I was eating lamb: the mild tenderloin had turned gamy. That’s cumin, Lev Sercarz explained, which the palate tends to associate with lamb. Next he cooked a cube of salmon in olive oil infused with Ararat (Blend No. 35, with smoked paprika, Urfa chilies and fenugreek leaves), transforming it into something I would have guessed, with eyes closed, to be pork belly. That, he said, was the smoke. Spices, I was learning, not only behave as intensifiers and complicators but also, in the right hands, can redraw the boundaries of flavor and confound the brain. For the finale, Lev Sercarz dropped a pinch of Mishmish (Blend No. 33, with crystallized honey, lemon zest and saffron) into the bottom of a glass and covered it with an inch of lager. The bitterness and hoppy flavors were gone — the beer smelled and tasted like a gingerbread milkshake."

Clearly La Boîte is an experience I'm noting down for when I visit New York City. Aren't you?

Estee Lauder Celadon & Pavilion: fragrance reviews & history

Part of the New Romantics collection in 1978, Celadon and Pavilion are two of the three fragrances which could be layered with one another to produce unique effects for the wearer. The third one was destined to go down as a true classic, White Linen composed by Sophia Grojsman, while the rest were eclipsed by its radiant aldehydic floral sheen. It has been said that perfume trios never really work out, one inevitably outshining the others, and that may be why the other two were soon discontinued. The sales numbers were merciless.

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Celadon in particular smells like something that could proudly sit in a niche brand's portfolio today; not really overpowering, this green floral by Estee Lauder fuses a sweetly grassy note with flowers shimmering on aldehydes (synthetically produced notes with an intense profile), a combination which recalls a garden in full spring bloom. In reverse order than is usual for green florals, the progression becomes ever greener, as the bitterish, bracing scimitar of galbanum (the resin off an exotic grass) bites. The soapy aldehydes take a metallic nuance, reminiscent of Metal by Rabanne or Rive Gauche by Yves Saint Laurent and it is here easy to see how men could borrow Celadon effortlessly. The heart is reminiscent of the hyacinth floralcy of Guerlain Chamade. The greenness adds an outdoorsy, spring-buds and herbs quality, yet the soft, powdery scent background is wrought with whispering woods and musk rendering a glaucous patina.

via ebay

Pavilion on the other hand is a Lauder perfume in the floriental mold, more of a hothouse nursing nocturnal and exotic blossoms than a green impromptu garden with herbs and greenery the way Celadon is.
A more consciously graceful and ladylike fragrance, it ties with some of the elements of both Celadon and White Linen (but much more florals), while remaining its own thing. The sugared violet peters out in powder. The orange blossom takes a grape-like quality.

In retrospect it's hard to see how it would generate low sales, being all around likable, yet perhaps its very pleasantness might have signed off its death certificate; next to the blaring noon and hot metal rails of White Linen, this postcard sunset is too sentimental to really distinguish itself.

White Linen when faced with the zeitgeist's crossroads, vampy a la Magie Noire (Lancome) or innocent a la Anais Anais (Cacharel), chose the road less travelled by and that's why it's still among us today.
Celadon by Estee Lauder has notes of aldehydes, galbanum, rose, green notes, floral notes, woods and musk.

Pavilion by Estee Lauder has notes of aldehydes, jasmine, orange blossom, violet, sandalwood, vanilla.

L'Occitane La Collection de Grasse: The Vert & Bigarade, Vanilla & Narcisse, Jasmin & Bergamote, Magnolia & Mure (new fragrances)

L'Occitane en Province founder Olivier Baussan and perfumer Karine Dubreuil revisit their southern roots for that prized feeling of authenticity and pure simplicity that the town of Grasse is known about. The duo sign a collection of four new unisex fragrances composed around duos of natural ingredients.
 

 The bottle and packaging retain a sparse architectural look, highlightening the ingredients themselves and and the shade of the fragrance. Thé Vert & Bigarade is a citrus aromatic, Jasmin & Bergamote is a floral jasmin, Magnolia & Mûre a fruity chypre and Vanilla & Narcisse a floriental. To usher in summer and the ambience of the South of France!

Recommend a Perfume to Kristina

I receive many letters from readers with various questions and themes for discussion. Among some of the most frequent ones are questions regarding recommendations for discontinued/reformulated fragrances. One such was Kristina's, who is in love with Câline de Patou, a perfume no longer made. My reader also specifies a love for Chamade by Guerlain and Eau de Fraîcheur by Weil, with a hesitation towards Calèche because it reminds her of her mother. She finds more mainstream department store fragrances in the US as too sweet, too synthetic, rather than magazine scent strips than real perfumes and what she asks is recommendations for a substitute for her favorite.

Patou fashions 1955

My initial response would be to reach for some Grand Amour by Annick Goutal or some Madame Rochas perfume and keep looking for bottles surfacing on Ebay, but you might have more alternative perfume recommendations. So in the interests of helping Kristina out, please provide your suggestions in the comments. Also, if you have questions that are related to these fragrances mentioned, now is the time to ask (and another reader is welcome to answer you).

M.Micallef Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand: new fragrance

Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M.Micallef has just been released on the occasion of the Cannes Shopping Festival. Creating for 20 years, the fashion designer from Lyon has achieved real fame with a demanding clientele permanently looking for exceptional pieces able to combine future trends, timeless elegance, and a perfect hand-made savoir-faire. Since the showroom opening in Cannes in 2010, the Denis Durand brand evokes wonderful creations, evening and wedding dresses. Each one is a unique piece, made in the most delicate fabrics and embroidered with semi-precious stones and Swarovski crystals, and recalls his personal universe referring to classic movies and legendary stars.



Through Martine Micallef's and Denis Durand's close friendship and artistic cooperation, a glamourous, mystic and sophisticated perfume was born: Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M. Micallef. The fragrance composition explodes on citrus head notes spiced with cinnamon. Intense and complex, the heart and the base cleverly balance the rose, orange blossom and honey softness with the strength of animalis and woody notes.

Notes for Les Parfum Couture Denis Durant for M.Micallef:
Head Notes: Ceylon cinnamon, Italian tangerine
Heart Notes: Bulgarian rose, orange blossom, honey and animalis
Base Notes: sandalwood, patchouly, amber and white musk.

Dressed with hand sewn delicate Chantilly black lace, the bottle is adorned with a little satin bow and a golden medal with the initials of the two artists. Available as Eau de Parfum spray 50ml/1.7oz from April 2013 at select stockists, retailing at 145€.