Roasted chicory absolute

Deep roast, bitter caramel, darkened bread crust. Coffee-like without acidity. A base of dry wood and burnt sugar.

Chicory absolute has no dedicated standard in the 51st Amendment of the IFRA Standards and is not named in the EU fragrance allergen list.

Listed EU allergens, where present, are counted from the lot's certificate of analysis.

Store dark, sealed and cool.

Cichorium intybus is a perennial of the daisy family with sky-blue flowers, common throughout Europe. Root varieties have a large taproot. Roots are lifted in autumn, sliced, dried and roasted.

Fresh chicory root is rich in inulin, a fructose polysaccharide. The root is also the main industrial source of inulin. On roasting, inulin and sugars break down into Maillard and caramelisation products. These give the roasted odour and bittersweet taste.

The roasted root is used as a coffee substitute or blended with coffee, especially in northern France and Belgium. The practice has been common in Europe since the 19th century.

The absolute and tincture are made by solvent extraction of the roasted root. The product is dark and thick. Published composition data for the absolute are scarce, so this page names only compound classes.

The same species also gives witloof, or Belgian endive. Roots are replanted in darkness to force pale leaf buds. Root chicory for roasting is another cultivated form of the same species.

In perfumery, roasted chicory absolute gives a roasted note without coffee's acidity. It is used in gourmand, tobacco and leather accords and links well with cacao, vanilla and tonka.