PERUVIAN PEPPER (SCHINUS MOLLE)

Peruvian pepper, Schinus molle, offers a fresh, aromatic kind of spice with citrus brightness and a little fruitiness. Its woody and resinous facets can give the brighter impression a firmer background. This is one of the plants known as pink pepper, botanically distinct from the Piper nigrum that gives black pepper. The name here specifies Schinus molle rather than making every pink pepper interchangeable.

IFF documents a Peruvian essential oil obtained by hydrodistilling the berries, with this combination of fresh spice, citrus, fruit and woody resin. It is a concrete example of a natural material behind the note; a perfume listing does not by itself confirm that oil is present. The citrus side can extend the freshness of a blend, while the aromatic spice can add definition to flowers or woods. Its balance and prominence depend on the composition.