What Does Coriander Seed Smell Like? Perfume Ingredient Guide

What does coriander seed smell like in perfume? Coriander seed smells spicy-sweet, with a citrus glow and a soft floral note. It is very different from the leaves, warmer and more perfumey.

Botanical name	Coriandrum sativum
Plant part	Seeds
Origin	Russia, Bulgaria and India
Extraction	Steam distillation
Note	Top
Scent family	Spices
Odour	Spicy-sweet with a citrus glow, softly floral and woody
Perfume uses	Spicy, floral and woody blends
Key molecules	Linalool, α-pinene, camphor
Odour impact	Medium
Odour life on a strip	Short: a few hours
Found in	Lissom Linden, Rose Rondeaux, Oud Octavo

Used within IFRA limits. Impact and odour life are our own studio guide, judged on a smelling strip.

What Is Coriander Seed?

Coriander seed oil is distilled from the seeds of Coriandrum sativum. It is rich in linalool, which gives it a soft, floral, slightly lavender-like character.

What Does Coriander Seed Smell Like?

Here is how strongly each facet of coriander seed comes through, from our own smelling-strip notes.

How Perfumers Use Coriander Seed

Perfumers use coriander seed to add a warm, spicy-sweet lift. It pairs well with rose, citrus, woods and other spices.

Seed, not leaf

Coriander leaves smell sharp and green; the seeds smell warm, floral and citrusy. Only the seeds are used in perfume.

Smell Coriander Seed in Prosody London Perfumes

For coriander seed at its most expressive, try Oud Octavo. Coriander opens the scent with bergamot, ginger and cognac, adding a spicy-sweet warmth. You will also find coriander seed in Lissom Linden and Rose Rondeaux.