What does vanilla smell like? The world's favourite comfort note

Vanilla may be the most loved smell on the planet. It is in cakes, candles, body lotions and some of the most famous perfumes ever made. Most of us know it from the kitchen. But real vanilla is far more complex than the sweet smell of ice cream, and the story of how it gets into a bottle is one of the strangest in perfume.

What does it smell like?

Sweet, creamy and warm. Real vanilla also has darker, drier sides that surprise people. In one breath you might notice:

• Sweetness: soft and sugary, like custard or cake batter
• Cream: a smooth, milky feel, almost like warm skin
• Wood and smoke: a dry, slightly smoky edge from the cured pod
• Booze: a rum- or bourbon-like warmth
• Leather and spice: a faint dark, raisin-like richness in good natural extracts

Synthetic vanilla notes tend to be simpler and more sugary. Natural vanilla extracts feel rounder, darker and less like dessert.

Where it comes from

Vanilla comes from the seed pods of a climbing orchid. The main species used is Vanilla planifolia, which is native to Mexico and Central America. A second type, Vanilla × tahitensis (Tahitian vanilla), is more floral and fruity.

Today the biggest producer by far is Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa. In 2023 it grew around 42% of the world's vanilla. Indonesia is second. Other growers include Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Uganda, India, Comoros and Réunion. "Bourbon vanilla" has nothing to do with whiskey. It is the old name for vanilla from Madagascar, Réunion and nearby islands, after Réunion's former name, Île Bourbon.

How it's made

Vanilla is one of the most labour-heavy crops in the world. That is why, by weight, it is often called the second most expensive spice after saffron.

1. Pollination by hand. Outside Mexico, the vanilla flower has almost no natural pollinators. Each flower opens for only a few hours. Workers pollinate every single flower by hand, using a thin stick and their thumb.
2. Growing. The green pod takes around eight to nine months to mature on the vine. At this stage it has almost no smell.
3. Curing. This is where the magic happens. The green pods are scalded in hot water, then "sweated" in warm, humid conditions so they turn dark brown. Next they are slowly dried in the sun and stored for months to deepen. Curing turns a natural compound in the pod into vanillin, the main smell molecule of vanilla.
4. Extraction. For perfume, cured pods are soaked in solvents to make a thick vanilla absolute, or extracted with pressurised carbon dioxide (CO2) for a lighter, truer smell.

Cured beans contain on average around 2.5% vanillin. But vanillin is only one part of the story. Scientists have identified well over a hundred other aroma compounds in real vanilla, which is why it smells so much richer than the pure molecule.

A short history of vanilla

• Mexico: The Totonac people of what is now Veracruz were among the first to grow vanilla. The Aztecs later used it to flavour a chocolate drink.
• Europe (1500s): Spanish conquistadors brought vanilla and chocolate back to Europe. For centuries, Mexico was the only place it could be grown, because no one outside it could get the flowers to produce pods.
• Réunion (1841): A 12-year-old enslaved boy named Edmond Albius found a quick, simple way to pollinate vanilla flowers by hand. His method is still used today. It allowed vanilla farming to spread to Réunion, Madagascar and beyond. Albius received almost no recognition in his lifetime.
• 1874: German chemists Ferdinand Tiemann and Wilhelm Haarmann patented a way to make vanillin in the lab. For the first time, the smell of vanilla could be made without the orchid.

Vanilla in modern perfume

Synthetic vanillin changed perfume. Guerlain's Jicky (1889) was one of the early perfumes to use it. Then came Shalimar (1925). The story goes that Jacques Guerlain added a large dose of ethylvanillin, a stronger relative of vanillin, to Jicky, and the result became one of the most famous vanilla perfumes of all time.

Much later, Angel by Thierry Mugler (1992) pushed vanilla into dessert territory, mixing it with caramel-like sweetness and patchouli. It started the "gourmand" trend: perfumes that smell edible. Vanilla is now at the heart of countless best-sellers.

Real vs synthetic vanilla

Most "vanilla" you smell, in food and in perfume, is synthetic vanillin. An often-quoted estimate is that around 95% of vanilla-flavoured products use it. It is mostly made from guaiacol (a petrochemical) or from lignin, a by-product of wood pulp and paper making.

Real vanilla extracts are costly, and their price swings wildly. Cyclones and poor harvests in Madagascar have sent prices soaring more than once, including after Cyclone Enawo in 2017. Most perfumers use a mix: synthetic vanillin and ethylvanillin for strength and stability, plus natural absolute when the budget allows, for depth.

Neither is "bad". But if you can, smell a real vanilla absolute once. Its smoky, boozy darkness is nothing like a cupcake.

What vanilla pairs well with

• Tonka bean: adds an almond and hay-like warmth
• Amber and benzoin: make vanilla deeper, resinous and cosy
• Tobacco and rum: give it a dark, grown-up edge
• Sandalwood: keeps it creamy and smooth
• Florals like jasmine and orange blossom: make it sensual rather than sweet
• Iris: turns it soft and powdery

Perfumes to try

• Shalimar by Guerlain (1925): the classic. Smoky, powdery vanilla with citrus on top.
• Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain: boozy, smoky vanilla with a rum-like glow.
• Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford: rich, sweet pipe tobacco and vanilla. Very strong.
• Angel by Mugler (1992): the gourmand that started it all. Not for the shy.
• Vanilla 28 by Kayali: a sweet, simple, easy-to-like modern vanilla.

How to wear vanilla

• Vanilla works all year, but heavy vanillas shine in cold weather.
• For hot days, choose a vanilla mixed with citrus, salt or light florals.
• Many vanilla perfumes last a long time on skin and clothes. Two or three sprays are usually plenty.
• Try a few side by side. "Vanilla" can mean anything from candy to dark smoke.

Who will love it

Anyone who loves warm, cosy and comforting scents. Vanilla is one of the easiest notes to enjoy, which makes it a great starting point for beginners. If you think vanilla is boring, try a smoky or boozy one. It may change your mind.