Schinus Molle Oil

#### Schinus Molle Oil. This oil illustrates a typical example of an essential oil which came into the limelight more because of the shortage of another essential oil (oil of **Black**** ****Pepper**) than because of great interest in the **Schinus Molle Oil **itself. The oil is steam distilled from the fruits (berries) of a small or medium sized tree which seems to have originated in northern South America. The tree is also known as “**Peruvian Pepper**** ****Tree”, “Peruvian Mastic”, “Californian Pepper Tree”**, etc. and it grows wild in Mexico, Guatemala and other tropical areas. An intoxicating beverage is produced from the fruits of this tree in Central America. The tree has been introduced in North Africa where the author has had repeated opportunities to study it, knowing that its fruits served locally as a substitute for black pepper. It is known as “faux poivrier” in the French- speaking parts of North Africa. The tree grows now in most Mediterranean countries including Spain, and it is also found in South Africa. It is possible, however, that the tree actually originated in North Africa since there is no record of its ever having been introduced there. The fruits are collected for distillation mainly in Mexico, Guatemala and Spain. Leaves and flowers have been distilled experimentally in Algeria and Italy. The leaf oil resembles the oil from the berries. **Schinus**** ****Molle**** ****Fruit**** ****Oil**** **is a pale greenish or pale olive colored, oily liquid whose odor is fresh, woody-peppery, warm-spicy with a somewhat sharp or dry, smoky-woody undertone. The odor becomes less pleasant upon ageing of the oil. The flavor is warm, somewhat biting although not pungent, but less rich than that of black pepper. The overall organoleptic picture of the oil calls to mind the odor and flavor of the tail fractions of black pepper oil (the “heavy” fractions) with some resemblance to angelica seed oil, juniper berry oil and elemi oil. The peppery note is undoubtedly due to the presence in the schinus molle oil of large amounts of the unstable monoterpene, **Phellandrene**, and perhaps also caryophyllene (a sesquiterpene). Apart from its individual character and possible use in perfumery for woody-spicy, warm and powdery notes which blend excellently with oakmoss products, clove oils, nutmeg, cinnamic alcohol, ionones, nitromusks, aldehydes, etc., the oil of **Schinus Molle **has served as a replacement for (or adulterant in) black pepper oil. The sudden interest in **Schinus Molle Oil**** **during the years of the black pepper scarcity even caused cases of adulteration of schinus molle oil with eucalyptus dives oil, clove oil sesquiterpenes, etc. Eucalyptus dives oil was at that time produced in large quantities for the mining industry. Back to normal conditions again, we find that schinus molle oil does not offer any sensational new notes for the working perfumer and flavorist, and the oil will probably remain a small item, while the berries will continue to serve as a local substitute for black pepper in the growing areas.