Vanilla and Chocolate Notes in Perfumery + Baby Its Cold Out There Draw (10 Gourmand Prizes)

 

 

Forward: During  the  winter months , many of us  love to eat comfort food; vanilla and chocolate are the equivalent in perfumery. Studies show there are cities, like New York, who prefer vanilla. Not only do vanilla and chocolate notes create fragrances you want to eat, but they can act as an aphrodiasics too.  So let's get busy, especially here  on the East Coast; baby it's cold out there – Michelyn Camen, EIC

 

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is the second most expensive spice in the world and the fruits of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) were once used as currency. Hand-pollinated, hand-harvested, and specially aged, the ancient fruit of the vanilla orchid plant has an intoxicating smell that is one of the most popular both in cooking and perfumery. The smell is rich and sweet, balsamic, earthy, perhaps woody and sometimes floral but also creamy and smooth.  There are many varieties of the bean but the most common are Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar and neighboring islands which possesses the familiar vanilla flavor and scent.  Tahitian vanilla (Vanilla tahitensis) is a different species and is more sweet and floral with a lower vanillin content than Bourbon vanilla.  In contrast, good Mexican vanilla is more rich, and spicy but it may be difficult to find pure vanilla in Mexico.  Vanilla is also produced in Central and South America, Indonesia and the Caribbean. 

 

The vanilla orchid is native to Mexico and Central America where it is pollinated by a native bee, and perhaps also by hummingbirds.  When the vine was discovered and transplanted around the world, the pollinators did not travel along and so horticulturists had to discover how to hand-pollinate the flowers. Even on their home ground, however, pollination is usually inefficient and does not result in enough orchid seed pods to meet demand so all vanilla is hand-pollinated. Vanilla flowers have a very light scent and the pods are harvested just before they are completely ripe and so the pods have no scent either.  The rich, creamy vanilla scent, from the compound vanillin and accented by heliotropin, develops over time as the seed pod is cured and dried.  The pod actually has to be killed then it is wrapped in cloth where it is aged for a number of days before being brought out to lay in the sun to dry each morning and brought back in to rest during the evening.  This is when it develops the dark color and rich aroma.  When the pods are ready they are dried on wooden shelves for several months and finally packed for shipping to market.  The process from pollination to bean takes about 1 ½ years and it is only at the end that the fragrance and taste fully develop. Hand pollination and the creation of large vanilla plantations made vanilla available in large quantities for people all over the world with a sweet tooth and a love of the fragrance.

 

Considered an aphrodisiac by many societies and an important ingredient of many comfort foods, from ice cream to home-made cookies, vanilla is an important spice and fragrance ingredient.  In Central America where it originated, vanilla was blended with copal to make fragrant incense for the temples.  The first Spaniards to discover it in Mexico thought it was a perfume and sent some home for that use.  The scent of vanilla has been shown to be calming, an antidote to stress and an aphrodisiac.  Research in the late 20th century brought attention to these properties of the spice and inspired a wave of vanilla scented body products. 

 

In the same part of the world, the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) produces small almond-shaped fruits that produced that unparalleled food item – cocoa.  Tropical rainforests are home to this tree where it grows in the understory because it requires shade to grow.  To describe the scent of cocoa is difficult – nearly as difficult as determining which of the 600 volatile aromatics in chocolate contribute to the smell.  It turns out that there are about 25 key ingredients which give chocolate its smell, but not one of them has a characteristic chocolate smell.  For me, the key smell is somewhat vanilla-like but also roasted, buttery and rich, perhaps slightly spicy, slightly animalic and reminiscent of a fine liqueur. 

The early Mexicans mixed the bitter chocolate with sugar and cinnamon, Aztecs would add vanilla and chile peppers.  Early Spaniards, once it reached their homeland, would add chile peppers, anise, achiote, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, almonds and hazelnuts, pod of Campeche, ambergris, powdered white roses, and orange water.  That sounds like the makings of a great perfume!

 

 Katy Perry by Artist Will Cotton

Chocolate and vanilla notes can also be found in other aromatic substances.  For instance, most balsams have a definite vanilla note and can be substituted for vanilla or used to enrich vanilla notes in perfumes.  In perfumery vanilla sweetens, extends and smoothes otherwise rough or harsh notes, including castoretum.  Tonka Beans contain coumarin, which is vanilla-like and sweet; Deer’s Tongue or Liatris also contains coumarin, lending it a sweet herbal vanilla scent when tinctured.  Patchouli can, at times, have a chocolate note. 

A skillful blend of vanilla or balsamic fragrances with other animalic, rich scents can sometimes evoke the feeling of chocolate in a perfume. Both chocolate and vanilla can add richness, depth and sometimes unexpected notes to perfumes and don't have to be boring and bland.

Elise Pearlstine, Contributor (Art Director Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief)

For our draw we have collectively chosen some of our favorite vanilla and chocolate based perfumes and scented delights

BelleFleur Candle in Cacoa Tabac – smoldering Mayan Cacoa

15 ml Xerjoff Casomoratti Lira-vanilla bourbon and caramel  ( I'll have what she's having)

 

 

 

 

JoAnne Bassett, JoAnne Bassett Limited Edition Collection all contain Madagascar vanilla absolute. This is a a sampler pack of the Discovery Collection that includes ½ ml of Enchant, Esoterica, Luscious roses, Reflections, Temptress and Timeless. (Timeless doesn’t have vanilla, but it’s a bonus)

 

Jane CateA Wing and A Prayer Perfumes, 15 ml Sabra CoCo, Base Notes: Cocao absolute

 

   

Francesca Brice, Pacific Perfumes: 10ml solid perfume Simply Paradise Botanical, (winner of two Green Packaging awards,includes a base of Cocoa Absolute Ghana,  and Vanilla Absolute Madagascar

 

 Liz Cook, 5ml One Seed (from Australia):  Devotion includes Madagascan vanilla C02 extracted, and South American cocoa absolute

Charna Ethier, Providence Perfume Co. 1 oz Cocoa Tuberose includes ghana cocao and vanilla absolue

 

Ambrosia Jones, Perfume by Nature  Death by Chocolate–  1 0z edp with Incan cocao

Anya McCoy, Anya's Garden   3.5 ml StarFlower  organic vanilla absolute from madagascar, ghana cocao, patchouli with a chocolatey note

Elise Pearlstine, Belly Flowers Perfumes  Peace Love and  Patchouli 5ml rollerball : Plantifolia vanilla and a chocolately patchouli note

We have 10 prizes for draw thanks to the sponsors above. Although the draw is random if you make your case those comments will be taken into consideration. In order to be eligible, please leave a comment about this article (what you learned), and  if you are a chocoholic or a vanilla lover  or both plus if it's cold where you live right now. Draw ends January 6, EST. Good Luck!

We announce the winners only on site, our new www.cafleurebon.com page and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and www. cafleurebon.com use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume

pla ,vhavanilla and a nice, rich, chocolately patchouli

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66 comments

  • Nice article, Elise! Very informative.
    Nice draw, too – I want that bellefleurny cacao tabac candle!!

  • Lynn Underwood says:

    Totally fascinating article! I had no idea that vanilla has to be hand-pollinated and that it is the second most expensive spice in the world! I love vanilla and chocolate scents!
    Thanks for the opportunity to win one of these fabulous giveaways!

  • Luscious article! 100% natural perfumes can also be used, by the drop, in food and drink. I agree with the aphrodisiac properties – my StarFlower has been called an orgy in a bottle. I’m sure all of the perfumes on this list are, too!

  • I had never considered how vanilla might be pollinated — bee, bird, bat. I may love vanilla just a bit more than chocolate, but the thought of Cocoa Tuberose makes me crave both.

  • What WONDERFUL scents!!! Even if I don’t win I’m looking forward to trying some of them!

  • cassandra franklin says:

    Lovely article and lovely perfumes..Just reading it made me feel warm and cozy…and its 35 degrees celsius here LOL
    Cass

  • Truly decatant!! Love it! Now just who does not love chocolate? I ask you…
    All the ingredients sound fabulous. I’m not sure if I am more of a vanilla lover or chocolate but add bourbon, patchouli, tonka bean? Too lucious!
    I’m sure they are all lovely and could make anyone SWOON!

  • Loved the article. Interesting to see how everyone has flavored their chocolate. Love the scent of both, but prefer the flavor of vanilla. I would love to try Anya’s StarFlower perfume!

  • Funny in the last hour or so I’ve been craving chocolate like crazy. Not so common for me actually but gotta get some! I love chocolate in my mouth but HATE it in perfume. Really – yuck no thanks. I would love to be proved wrong by this but don’t even like using cocoa butter because of the note of chocolate. Vanilla on the other hand is food for the mouth and food for the nose. I love the history of vanilla how different it can be depending on where it’s from (as for chocolate as well of course). In my own work with vanilla in fragrance I love to make it a bit more complicated (and stretch those aromatic dollars) by adding in other vanilla like notes. This article is sending me out in the cold to go get something good to eat! I’d have a preference for the JoAnne Bassett, JoAnne Bassett Limited Edition Collection I’ve been meaning to order samples from here for far too long anyway and these are the vanilla heavy players on this list.
    THANKYOU!!!

  • I love chocolate. The texture, the wax-, the taste, smell, the mouth feel. There is not anything about I do not love. Exception being the calories:( chocolate envelops you takes you in its arms and slowly let’s you go. Valentines day capitalizes on the aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate.
    Vanilla, is the yin to the chocolates yang. They compliment each other and that’s why ice cream comes in a chocolate/vanilla swirl on a cone. The ice cream sandwich again a winning combo of chocolate and vanilla.
    I was sidetracked, we were talking about scent.
    Yes, it’s freezing here at 17*. My dogs are crossing their legs and praying that I don’t want to take them out soon.
    This article was awesome. You asked for pleading so here goes: I’m on a diet and chocolate is on the naughty list! I live just outside Hershey PA and when the wind blows west, I can smell the chocolate ( true story). Yes, Hershey PA absolutely smells like chocolate and the streetlights are little kisses.
    I got a chocolate pedicure when I was dieting, but what I didn’t know was that included in the package of the Hershey chocolate pedicure was unlimited kisses in bowls all over the place! Yes, I caved ugh I’m only human.
    Please choose me to wear Charna’s cocoa and tuberose. I mean those are two of my favorite things in the whole world and they are together in one bottle from Providence Perfume!!
    What did I learn from this article, well now I know I desperately want to whaft Cocoa and Tuberose! Chocolate takes awhile through quite a process to become what it is. I also learned about vanilla from Madagascar and new york is a vanilla city:) pick me please for Charna’s Cocoa and Tuberose. You won’t be sorry that you did. But I will love it that you did:) thanks to all the donors and to Cafleurebon for hosting;)

  • I love both vanilla and chocolate..very dark chocolate is my favorite. It is 70 degrees where I live in Southern California but it gets to 30 degrees overnight.

    It was interesting to read of all the different things that were added to chocolate. I knew about using chilies from the movie “Chocolate”.

  • I have always incorporated vanilla in my daily scent routine…have tried so so many..like them all, but you must add Vanille Extreme eau de toilette by Comptoir Sud Pacifique Paris to the list……..& I must try the 15 ml Xerjoff Casomoratti Lira…..thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • A chocoholic I am indeed. And if living in the cold fargo doesn’t raise my chances for all them goodies I don’t know what does :)))

  • I did not know that vanilla is an orchid, I feel a bit silly I thought it was a type of bean. I did not know that it had to be hand pollinated or aged for 1 1/2 years, no wonder that vanilla pods aren’t cheap.
    I prefer to eat chocolate but I would rather wear vanilla, there’s more depth to vanilla and chocolate scents just make feel like I’ve spilled desert on myself.
    I hope your are having a lovely winter, where I am at, it is quite balmy for January, mid 60’s F.

  • I had no idea that there are 25 key ingredients which give chocolate its smell and out of the 25, none smell like chocolate. It takes 25 ingredients to create a chocolate accord! That’s amazing!

    I am curious about cocoa absolute Ghana in a couple of the perfumes for draw. I used to live in Ghana and became addicted to their chocolate. It’s really strong and bitter cacao and 75% less sweet than the chocolate in the west.

  • I learned several things…for example that the vanilla orchid is native to Mexico and Central America. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world and that the early Mexicans mixed the bitter chocolate with sugar and cinnamon and that there are about 25 key ingredients which give chocolate its smell, but not one of them has a characteristic chocolate smell. Sort of crazy. My first choice would be Charna Ethier, Providence Perfume Co. Cocoa Tuberose, but i would be happy with whatever Lady Luck decides to let me win.

  • lovethescents says:

    What a delicious article. I’m not familiar with the different types of vanillas and chocolates. I’d need to sit down with a variety and sniff out the nuances. Thank you for this opportunity. I love both!

  • I learned that the process from pollination to bean takes about 1 ½ years and it is only at the end that the fragrance and taste fully develop. I also learned that hand pollination has made vanilla more accessible. Love cocoa. like JoAnne very dark 90% is my favorite. You may often find me making something with this along with dried red chilies from my garden 🙂 The days are surprisingly nice right now 68 to 70 nights at about 38 for now anyway. I would love to try Providence Cocoa Tuberose or.. Ambrosia’s Death By Chocolate.. Great job Elise! Thanks to all those wonderfully talented sponsors as well.

  • taffynfontana says:

    It must be my Mexican heritage because I just love all things chocolate and vanilla especially with a spicy kick. The flavor and aromas is otherworldly and always manages to pick me up whenever I’m feeling down.

  • I prefer to eat my chocolate, and have loved and worn vanilla infused fragrances (even pure vanilla bourbon in my hair) since i can remember. Your article was extremely enlightening. I esp enjoyed the info regarding hand pollination. Bees and hummingbirds are two of my favorite things in the garden, so I’m happy to see they take a roll in pollinating the vanilla orchid. Patchouli is also one of my favs so i would definately love a bottle of “anya’s starflower.” Chocolate, vanilla, orgy in a bottle……..what more could a girl ask for? Happy New Year from So Cal!!

  • They all look absolutely luscious and yummy. The one that speaks to me is the cacao tuberose combination. Very nice article. I am working with base notes for vanilla and of course how much better can you get than chocolate.

  • Thanks Michelyn for such a wonderful article. My Sabra CoCo Perfume is like a heavenly chocolate with out the calories. The chocolate-orange decadence with a tiny splash of vanilla bourbon and cassie is good enough to eat. I do place a warning label on Sabra CoCo Perfume, since bite marks are not nice!!!! Thanks again.

  • I am a hedonist, I love both chocolate and vanilla, both together even more. But ok, vanilla prevails. Here in Switzerland should be winter but isn’t. It rains and rains, dark skies are very depressant. No snow like before. Global warming? I am disappointed with this winter. HAGD!

  • Excellent article on chocolate and vanilla! I love them both, in food and in perfume and would be thrilled to get to try Providence Cocoa Tuberose or Ambrosia’s Death by Chocolate. I think the chocolate-tuberose combination sounds especially appealing.

  • Thanks for the giveaway. Of course, I love chocolate. I like it very much when it is made by my mother, homemade.
    I did not know so much about chocolate until I read this article. Thanks!

  • I had no idea vanilla was an orchid. 🙂 How interesting.
    I’m a chocoholic lover when it comes to food and vanilla lover when it comes to perfumes.
    I am wearing some of my vanillas these days as it’s winter here (at least it’s supposed to be, we are having some freakishly warm winter weather)…

  • I love chocolate as a food in allmost every way, but I prefer vanilla for perfumes.
    Outside my door, its winter and it should be cold, but its more like english summer and sometimes the weather sounds like the end of the world.

  • What a delicious article! It was interesting to find out that certain cities and areas have different “tastes” when it comes to sweets. Also, that when Europeans brought cacao back with them they added not only hazelnuts and spices…but powdered white roses and ambergris!! Wow!

    Chocoholic, for sure; but I DO adore vanilla as well. Anything with chocolate and hazelnuts make me drool!

    Cold is an understatement! As I type these words it is NINE degrees outside and the screen door’s glass has ice swirls forming on the inside. *shivers*

    Charna Ethier Cocoa Tuberose sounds absolutely amazing! As does Anya’s Garden Starflower…

  • I did not know that Tahitian vanilla was distinctly different from bourbon vanilla. I love vanilla in my perfume and chocolate in my mouth 🙂 !! This morning it is 3 degrees here in upstate NY so a vanilla perfume and hot chocolate would be just the ticket! I recently discovered that I also like cocoa as a fragrance, as I have been making a lavender/cocoa body oil for a dear friend and her daughters. The combination of these two oils create a very soothing and calming scent. I would love to win anything from this draw…thanks for the opportunity!

  • Great article!
    I just started my diet, so I dont eat chocolate nowdays. But I do love the smell of it. I remember when I was a kid I wanted to make a perfume which smells absolutely the same as my favourite choco.

  • I’ve seen growing vanilla vines and watched the cultivation/harvest process, it’s so labor intense that it makes me appreciate vanilla all the more. Definitely a vanilla gal. I actually love chocolate in savory dishes, though, like a good mole. Nice to see so many natural gourmands out there these days!

  • PS: It’s absolutely freezing (literally) here right now, my tropical garden is not going to make it, so sad!

  • The most interesting piece of information in this article is about Deers Tongue. i had no idea you can tincture it and get a coumarine based vanilla scent. I have no idea where to get the plant material though… Also 1,5 years for a bean (???) WOW!

    I love good quality vanilla and dark cocoa in my desserts. I like the smell of the natural materials and the extracts that derive from them too. I have yet to find a fragranced based on them that I tolerate. Most natural vanillas turn sour on my skin. It is funny because I don’t get that from the cheap stuff that have no real extract in them. Cocoa is something I have only experienced as a hint in some of the perfumes i own but I have never tried a scent based on it really. Having said that I would go for the cocoa tuberose because I am also curious as to how the ultrafeminine tuberose note can be tempered to become unisex.

  • As a chef I love both vanilla and chocolate, but chocolate has my heart. It is so cold where I am, a sensory trip to the tropics is needed asap!

  • It makes my mouth water. I am a chocoholic and a lover of vanilla at the same time. Not only winters but these two goodies make us content all year round. This article has for sure enriched my knowledge about vanilla.

    I would like to choose Anya McCoy as I have been longing to try her creations so much.

  • I didn’t know much about the number of volatil compounds that are found in cocoa. Fascinating.

    I dream chocolate. I can’t live a day without it. But I prefer vanilla in perfumes.

    I would be happy with any prize but if I had to pick Lira would be my choice. Lovely.

    Thank you to the sponsors. Thank you for such an interesting post!

  • Ohhhh! This subject is right up my alley. I love gourmands, and vanilla and chocolate are two of the most delectable notes. I haven’t tried any of these scents, so thanks for the draw!

    Let’s see – something I learned. I didn’t know vanilla is the second most expensive in the world. Guessing the first is saffron?

    I love both vanilla and chocolate – YUM!!!! And it’s COLD here. 14 degrees this morning.

    BTW – current favorite fragrances – Roma Imperiale for vanilla and Angel Le Gout du Parfum for chocolate!

  • This article speaks to my surprise as a newbie perfumista. When i started this journey last year I had the preconceived notion that I would like floral perfumes, that I did not like vanilla at all, and that anything sweet, or certainly gourmand, I would hate. Well, much to my surprise, the fragrances that smell best on me are sweet and spicy and often have vanilla. Florals usually go sour on me or smell like an older lady.
    So now I love articles written about the various types of vanilla. I am determined to learn to identify the various vanilla notes.
    This draw is wonderful and hard for me to choose which I would like to try. I think I am most curious about the Xerjoff Casomoratti Lira or Liz Cook’s Devotion.

  • I love, love both Chocolate and vanilla. If a fragrance has a little vanilla in its base,,,that’s a plus for me. I found interesting the Mexicans used cinnamon with their chocolate! We made a pot of Abuelita Mexican Chocolate recently,,,and it was strongly infused with Cinnamon! Not sure if I like that much cinnamon,,,but the chocolate was high quality!!
    It’s cold here on the plains,,,but the sun is out—the dogs are pleased. I tried Xerjoff’s Lira and was impressed,,but would be happy to win any of these lovelies!

  • I love chocolate( preferably swiss-it tastes more “elegant”than the belge) in cold weather-and right now, it’s winter here, relatively cold and raining…brr
    I dream of tasting, even the tinniest ammount of chocolate with ambergris- it will remain only a dream…
    In summer I became more of a vanilla girl
    concise and very informative article, thank you

  • Chocolate – Vanilla tough choice to make I’d say vanilla for the Summer and chocolate for the winter both in ice creams all year round. The article was very enlightening regarding the rarity of these ingredients and the way they were used in the past. I will definately try the Aztec recipe!!

  • Fabulous article! I learned alot about one of my favorites – vanilla! But, chocloate in the winter – lead the way!

  • Although it is not too cold on the Pacific coast right now (quite windy though) I have some homemade vanilla extract which I use in baking and some good quality chocolate. Yesterday evening I had reset my mood buttons with a local port (it’s actually from a Portugese style winery) and 70% and 88% chocolate.

    Many thanks to Elise and Cafleurebon for an informative article and a kaleidoscopic draw!..

    I loved the article and have learned a lot from it. I was concerned about the pollination issues for quite a long time, and it was interesting to read about hand pollination as an option. Maybe one day we will have to learn to pollinate our own food — some flowers would be too delicate for our human fingers! Long live native bees!

    I did know the Natives recipes, but I had no clue that Spaniards added the ambergris and orange water! That DOES sound like making of a good perfume right there!

    I would love to win Anya’s StarFlower for my sister in law who stopped using her perfumes completely and wants to move natural. She is very interested in all natural perfumery and loves the smell of vanilla. I am sure she haven’t seen or smelled anything like this before! Maybe, Anya’s perfume will bring her back to experiencing the joys of perfume!

  • Oh, what a wonderful article ! I love both vanilla and chocolate, for me they are aphrodisiacs. And yes, here in Romania, where I live, are 0 degrees right now. I hate it but I don’t have resources to move to Hawai yet:))

  • Thank you Elise for this great presentation of vanilla and chocolate. I particularly loved the descriptions of the different vanillas. Like others here, I’d say I prefer to eat my chocolate and spray my vanilla, rather than the other way around.
    Well since ‘here’ is Scandinavia, yes, it’s cold. Last winter was terrible; many people were snowed in over Christmas, and the cold weather lasted from November til April, so everyday that passes with no snow is a good day:-) To shield off this time of year vanillas are definitely high in rotation. Wouldn’t I love Lira to keep me warm, oh yes I would, but all sound lovely. Thank you for the plentiful and generous draw.

  • I love both vanilla and chocolate, dry and not too sweetened. In perfumes I think I prefer chocolate notes — I like how you can get a chocolate note from some patchoulis. In my food I prefer vanilla as it seems to enhance my favorite egg and cream-based desserts.

  • First of all, let me say that Xerjoff’s line is transcendent- expensive, yes- but so worth it. Wearing it is like slipping on the most expensive silk pyjamas after a lifetime of cheap cotton. I havent been lucky enough to try the Casomoretti, but it sounds like something id mortgage my house for- being the vanilla obsessive I am…and a bourbon vanilla? My favorite!!!! And perfect for the below freezing temps where I live. The article was great too- I love the fact that vanilla has been a sort of panacea thru the centuries- no great surprise to me. It always lifts my mood and soothes me. I can’t live without it.

  • Thanks for the draw! I knew saffron was the most expensive spice, but I didn’t know that vanilla came in second! I love both vanilla and chocolate, and here it’s freeezing right now! In these times, comfort scents are always welcome!!

  • Thank you for an inspiring article!
    I immediately got a long for both chocolate and vanilla – both perfumes and to eat! 🙂 I was surprised that vanilla has a quite so long process from pollination to bean. And I didn’t know that the scent of vanilla has been shown to be an aphrodisiac. But I should have guessed that. I always feel so cosy and sexy in a perfume with the vanilla. I love both chocolate and vanilla, so all the perfumes in this article feels very tempting to me. I live in the middle of Sweden and the temperature here is now -3 degrees (Celcius). The snow is falling with BIG snowflakes….It’s really a vanilla and chocolate wheather. 🙂

  • I learned so many things I didn’t know about vanilla and cacao, and I love both! One thing I didn’t know was how long the process takes, from pollination to vanilla bean. I won’t take vanilla for granted ever again! Even in the winter, I love my vanilla ice cream. My favorite way to eat it is with whipped cream and cinnamon. My other favorite is dark chocolate, squares of it eaten while sipping hot tea so that it literally melts in my mouth. Like I said, I do love both. And I would love to win absolutely any of these prizes, though I must say the 15 ml Xerjoff Casomoratti Lira is incredibly tempting. The description is just delicious, and I would love to have this chance to try it! Thanks so much for the draw.

  • I enjoyed reading about the what the early Spaniards added to chocolate, especially the ambergris! Am definitely a chocoholic, I’ve been known to add cocoa nibs to my daily smoothies…. 🙂

    So not cold where I am….

    Holly Jae

  • Borko Boris says:

    So many pictures and information on chocolate and vanilla that now I want to go out and buy some! Your blog helps me put on some weight haha.
    I am in the boat of those who love these two ingredients. Actually, they are my favourite in cakes, ice-creams or everything else.
    Here is not so cold. 0 degrees Celsius or 32 Fahrenheit I suppose. It is raining.

  • Beautiful pictures! I thought I couldn’t do vanilla in fragrance but I’m beginning to learn there are exceptions. I just need to experiment. I have never tried a scent with chocolate. I don’t usually enjoy sweet scents but somehow I can imagine scents containing both these notes not coming across too sweet if done right. I am absolutely a chocoholic as far as eating goes! I need to stop because for me it’s all about milk chocolate and dairy and I do not agree!

  • i like both vanilla and chocolate, but i suppose i like vanilla *more* to eat, and chocolate more to wear. in fact, i have hagen dasz vanilla ice cream (with a glass of red wine) often.

    i had no idea that the vanilla bean has to be cured to develop its aroma. leave it to us humans, eh?

    as for temps, it is ungodly hot here in southern california these days. in the 80s (yikes.) and i wish it would cool down some soon.

  • That it takes so long to produce vanilla was news to me! I’m fond of both vanilla (especially in perfume) and chocolate (preferably eaten, very dark). If I could make a wish I’m curious about both Lira and Pacific perfumes!
    Here’s finally pleasant winter weather with snow and -8 C, quite mild for northern Sweden.

  • I learned a bunch. Vanilla being from different species, the difference between the,.. I am new to perfume but “vanillin and accented by heliotropin” I am seeing often. Hope to read more about heliotropin at some point too. I like chocolate, but really like vanilla as a scent.

    As for cold, maybe for the Bay Area, but my family in Idaho says we don;t know the meaning of the word cold here.

    So many of these for the draw look interesting. I will have to look some up.

  • I enjoyed this article. I had no idea that vanilla plantifolia was the second most expensive spice ingredient. Maybe that explains the expense of the Chanel (?) new skincare line that is based on this?
    I would love any of these prizes, as they are all scents I have not tried. However, I have been wanting to try Charna’s, of Providence Perfume, Cocoa Tuberose. First because everything I’ve read about it has been overwhelmingly positive. I love tuberose. I lived in Indonesia for awhile, and big stalks of tuberose in huge vases were present in any hotel or restaurant. It is such a sensuous, beutiful smell, and instantly makes me happy. I would have never thought of combining it with chocolate. Vanilla would have seemed an easier combo to me. So I’m interested to see how these two distinct smells meld. I’ve read so much positive press about Charna’s creations, both here on Cafleurebon, and other blogs. It is about time I got around to trying some of her perfumes, so if I don’t win this contest I think it’s time to order samples. Oops, there’s my new year’s resolution…no more samples…out the window!

  • I was surprised to learn that the Spaniards added ambergris to their chocolate. Urg. I prefer chocolate, but only because I rarely give vanilla a chance. When I’ve had it, it’s wonderful. It’s not cold here in the Bay Area, around 60 during the day and 40’s at night. Thanks for the draw- I’d love any of the prizes! They all are amazing.

  • I have found interesting that Spaniards added ambergris to chocolate and that mayan cocoa is used in perfumery.

    I love chocolate but I don’t like it in my perfumes. However I enjoy wearing vanilla scents.

    Where I live winter is being warmer than ever. It doesn’t seem winter…

  • I was interested to learn that vanilla from different locations has different characteristics. I also learned about the making of vanilla. I did not realise it was such a long process. I am most definitely a vanilla lover. It is grey and 7 degrees here (UK) but at least it is not raining or blowing today.

  • Thanks to all for the draw and the article!In reverse order: Yes, it’s cold out! Although today is much more pleasant than the rest of the week has been.
    I am definitely a chocoholic! But also a vanilla lover. The best chocolate present I’ve gotten has been a Scharffen Berger Markham Valley semi-sweet bar (thanks Dad!).

    The was a seminar when my sister was in school called “Chocolate” which covered the historical and neuroscience aspects. I imagine it would have been a bit like the article, talking about the different ways people prepared chocolate. I knew about adding chiles and cinnamon but not ambergris, powdered white roses, or orange water. All of these ingredients are more for scent than flavor these days but I guess the line between smell and taste is quite fluid! The Spaniards who ate ambergris also thought of vanilla initially as a perfume, too.

    I also knew about Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, and different varieties like Tahitian, but not that the vanilla orchids are native to the Americas, or that it is the second most expensive spice (after saffron, I think). And I never knew how time- and energy-intensive vanilla preparation was. Vanilla has always been comforting, calming, and sensual to me, as has cocoa. I like the dichotomy of comfort/sensuality in both of these ingredients.

    I would love any of these scents! This coming year I would love to learn more about natural perfumery especially. Death by chocolate sounds like a great way to go! and JoAnne Basset is a pillar of the natural artisan community, I would love a chance to sample her work. And ditto for Anya McCoy. Liz Cook’s Oneseed is a newer name to me but Devotion looks heavenly. We used to have Sabra liquer too! It would make an excellent perfume….And if anything could teach me to appreciate tuberose and white florals generally, mixing it with cocoa would do the trick.

    I need to sto clicking on these links and go be productive. and maybe eat lunch because I’m really hungry now (Caramel vanilla! chocolate with orange, with flowers, with patchouli! YUM)

    Have a great weekend everyone!

  • I learned and was really informative about the vanilla origins and how different they smell, and also interesting about the recipes that spaniards use back then, it is like what Arquiste is doing with Anima Dulcis taking a really old recipe from when the spaniards came and applying it to perfumery. I really like vanilla and cacao, chocolate in edible and perfume form, I live in sunny Southern California so it is never cold here, right now we have mid 70s temperatures for our “winter”.

  • Actually I enjoyed reading about the difference between Bourbon, Tahitian and Mexican vanilla, all varieties I have heard of but had never thought about the subtle differences. My mother especially is fond of vanilla extract from Mexico and now I know why. Personally I am both a chocoholic and a vanilla lover, with a taste toward dark and robust African-sourced cocoa and the fruity chocolate from Ecuador; I like both cool (like in Guerlain’s Cuir Beluga) and warm (Spirituese Double Vanille) approaches to vanilla in fragrance.

    I would be most interested in trying the Xerjoff because I am a big caramel fanatic. I hunted down the limited edition Alien “Taste of Fragrance” perfume because of the promise of buttered caramel – which it did have, but which ultimately was a subtle accompaniment to the unmistakable camphorish-jasmine accord of Alien. Sigh. My caramel craving in fragrance remains unfulfilled! (Truthfully, I don’t think I’ve even seen this Xerjoff fragrance anywhere in the States!)

    Oh, and it’s warm where I am which is unusual for January.

  • I have often wondered about the difference between varieties of vanilla, but never knew that the Madagascar and the Tahitian were different species. I also did not realize that vanilla must be hand-pollinated, for the most part. I like vanilla in food and in perfume, and am also a confirmed chocoholic. I love the descriptions of the early uses of chocolate. Mexican mole, a sauce for roast chicken, is made with bitter chocolate and powdered chiles. It must have originated with the Aztecs! It cold-ish but not as cold as January usually is here in New England. I would love to win any of the featured fragrances! Thank you.