Tonka is a sweet, warm note from the tonka bean, the dried, almond-shaped seed of the cumaru tree (Dipteryx odorata), a tall rainforest tree of northern South America. Shiny, black and wrinkled, the seed is packed with coumarin, which gives it a sweet, warm scent of hay, vanilla and almond. In perfumery it is extracted into a rich absolute used in gourmand, amber and fougère fragrances.
What does Tonka smell like?
A whole tonka bean, grated or snapped open, smells intensely sweet and marzipan-like, with notes of dried hay, cherry, tobacco and warm spice. A good tonka bean absolute adds a creamy, caramel-like base that pure coumarin lacks, together with a slightly bitter, woody note from the seed coat; coumarin on its own smells cleaner, drier and more powdery. The effect is soft and comforting, less cloying than vanilla.
Where Tonka comes from
The cumaru tree can grow to around 30 metres, producing fleshy pods that each contain a single seed. Fallen pods are gathered, much of it from wild trees, cracked open and the seeds dried for several days. Some traders have traditionally soaked or cured the seeds in alcohol to encourage coumarin to crystallise on the surface, giving them a frosted look.
- Also known as: Tonka bean, cumaru, coumarou
- Fragrance family: Gourmand / Amber / Fougère
- Type: Natural (synthetic coumarin supplies most tonka effects)
- Main origins: Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia
- How it's obtained: Solvent extraction of dried seeds to make an absolute or resinoid
- Key aroma molecules: Coumarin (typically 1 to 3% of the seed)
Tonka in perfume history
Indigenous peoples of the Orinoco and Amazon basins have long valued the seeds' scent. The name tonka comes from the Carib language of French Guiana, while cumaru is a Tupi word that gave coumarin its name. Coumarin was first isolated from the seeds in 1820 and synthesised by the English chemist William Henry Perkin in 1868. In 1882 Paul Parquet used it in Houbigant's Fougère Royale, founding the fougère family around lavender, oakmoss and coumarin, and Guerlain's Jicky (1889) paired it with vanillin and lavender.
Tonka in modern perfumery
Tonka bean has become a highlight note in its own right, helped by European pastry chefs, and is a pillar of modern gourmands and ambers. Niche and prestige brands like to name the natural bean, while formulas rely on inexpensive, consistent synthetic coumarin for bulk, with natural absolute kept for richer formulas.
How Tonka wears and what it pairs with
A base note, tonka bean lasts for hours and gives warmth and body. It pairs with lavender and clary sage, with cacao, coffee and caramel, with iris and heliotrope, with tobacco and rum accords, and with sandalwood and vetiver.
Fragrances featuring Tonka
- Houbigant Fougère Royale (1882)
- Guerlain Jicky (1889)
- Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (2007)
- Guerlain Tonka Impériale (2010)
Safety and regulation
The seeds are not permitted in food in the United States because of their coumarin content. In perfume, coumarin must be declared on EU labels above set thresholds and is subject to IFRA limits.
