Tarragon Essential Oil

ORIGINAL PLANT: Artemisia dracunculus l.

PART OF THE PLANT USED: Flowers and leaves

CAS: 90131-45-6

CAS2: 8016-88-4

EINECS 290-356-5

FEMA 2412

TARIFF NUMBER 3301294900

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.

One subspecies, Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, is cultivated to use the leaves as an aromatic culinary herb. In some other subspecies, the characteristic aroma is largely absent. Informal names for distinguishing the variations include "French tarragon" (best for culinary use), "Russian tarragon," and "wild tarragon" (covers various states).

Tarragon grows to 120–150 centimetres (4–5 feet) tall, with slender branches. The leaves are lanceolate, 2–8 cm (1–3 in) long and 2–10 mm (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitula 2–4 mm (1⁄16–3⁄16 in) diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets. French tarragon, however, seldom produces any flowers (or seeds).Some tarragon plants produce seeds that are generally sterile. Others produce viable seeds. Tarragon has rhizomatous roots that it uses to spread and readily reproduce.
In Iran, tarragon is used as a side dish in sabzi khordan (fresh herbs), or in stews and Persian-style pickles, particularly khiar shoor (pickled cucumbers).

Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking and is particularly suitable for chicken, fish, and egg dishes. Tarragon is the main flavoring component of Béarnaise sauce. Fresh, lightly bruised tarragon sprigs are steeped in vinegar to produce tarragon vinegar. Pounded with butter, it produces an excellent topping for grilled salmon or beef.

Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink in the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (where it originally comes from), and, by extension, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The drink, named Tarkhun, is made out of sugar, carbonated water, and, most importantly, tarragon leaves which give it its signature green color.

Tarragon is one of the main ingredients in Chakapuli, a Georgian national dish.

In Slovenia, tarragon is used in a variation of the traditional nut roll sweet cake, called potica. In Hungary, a popular chicken soup is flavored with tarragon.

Tarragon oil has a pale yellow color and a fresh, aromatic scent, in fragments of a sweet, spicy tone that fades over time. It is a bit reminiscent of anise or fresh celery. Over time, it ages, becomes darker, and loses that attractive fresh tone, which is why it is most often used in making perfume compositions. Some connoisseurs of the scent say that with aging, it can get even a very unpleasant smell that does not resemble the real, fresh smell of tarragon.

The main ingredient in tarragon oil is estragole, which is also present in pine oils and terpenes. It is easily obtained synthetically, so its use is not very common in perfumery. However, there are those perfumers who like the natural scent of tarragon, which, as they say, adds indescribable freshness and natural effect to their perfumes.

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) Perfumes and scents

Group: GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES

Artemisia dracunculus; Other names: Estragon, Little Dragon

This special, herbal fragrant note is used in traces to enhance chypre and fougere perfumes, i.e., various green and herbal fragrance compositions. It is best combined with lavender, galbanum, vanilla, and oakmoss.

There is also a “fake” tarragon oil on the market, mostly made from estragole from pine oil. It differs because it has a shorter lifespan in the perfume, that is, the fresh scent of tarragon quickly fades, there is too clean scent when it dries, and the original herbal undertone that is found in tarragon is missing. Experienced perfumers know how to recognize the difference between real tarragon oil and the fake counterpart. The fact that less than one metric ton of tarragon oil is produced annually, mostly in France, says enough. It is used just as a unique, finishing touch to round up and add fullness and richness to a perfume’s composition.

You can smell it in these fragrances: