Caraway - Reconstitution

This oil is steam distilled from the dried, crushed, ripe fruit of Carum Carvi, a small herb native to Asia, Europe, North Africa, and the northwestern United States. The plant is cultivated in various countries, including Holland, Denmark, Poland, the USSR, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Germany, England, Spain, Tunisia, India, and Pakistan. The first four countries listed are the main suppliers of the fruits, with Holland being the largest producer of the essential oil. While other countries contribute smaller quantities, the Dutch oil is considered superior. Additionally, the rare English distilled oil, partially sourced from foreign fruits, is also highly regarded for its flavor quality.

Rectified caraway oil is colorless or very pale yellow. Its odor is stronger and less fatty compared to crude (natural) oil. The flavor profile of rectified oil is warmer, less sweet, and more biting. In contrast, crude caraway oil often has an initial nauseating, almost amine-like note. This unpleasant note is characteristic of many "seed" oils, particularly those from the Umbelliferae family, which includes caraway, carrot, celery, coriander, and fennel. The disagreeable odor may result from the decomposition of proteins in the seed germ or the presence of glycosides or alkaloids. For instance, fresh black pepper oil can exhibit an ammoniacal odor, possibly due to the decomposition of nitrogen components in the fruit. However, this unpleasant odor is not found in redistilled (rectified) caraway oils.

In perfumery, the use of caraway oil is primarily limited to soap fragrances, where it is often combined with cassia oil or similar notes. Small quantities of caraway oil may also be incorporated into jasmine bases, tobacco perfumes, and other compositions. Caraway oil is known for its pronounced odor-masking effect, which can effectively neutralize the unpleasant smells of certain insecticidal chemicals, making it occasionally useful for this purpose. Due to the availability of its main constituents, carvone and limonene (both in their dextro-rotatory forms), as synthetic chemicals, the use of natural caraway oil has significantly decreased.