Tonka bean

Tonka bean is a treasured and versatile ingredient in perfumery, celebrated for its warm, comforting and gourmand character. Harvested during the dry season from the Dipteryx odorata tree native to South America, the glossy black seeds are collected by hand when the fruits fall naturally.

After cracking open the hard shells, the seeds are sun-dried, then ‘sweated’ in alcohol (traditionally rum) to awaken their natural flavours, before being dried again, ground and transformed into an oil through solvent extraction. Though often compared to vanilla, tonka bean’s sweetness comes from coumarin, which imparts almondy warmth with hints of caramel, spice, and soft tobacco.