Character
The Story of Cane Sugar
Cane sugar enters perfumery through two paths: as a sweet, edible note in gourmand fragrances, and as the fermented base that carries every drop of scent to your skin. Its dual role makes it one of the industry's most versatile ingredients.
Heritage
Sugarcane cultivation traces to New Guinea around 6000 BCE, spreading through maritime trade routes to India and the Pacific. Alexander the Great documented sugarcane in India by 327 BCE, and by around 300 CE, Indian processors had developed the first solid sugar, transforming how the world sweetened food. When Columbus carried cane from the Canary Islands to Santo Domingo in 1492, he ignited the Caribbean sugar economy that would reshape global trade. By the 18th century, perfumers at the court of Louis XV began dropping fragrance onto sugar crystals for ingestion with wine, linking cane directly to perfumery. Today, sugarcane ethanol remains the industry standard carrier for fragrance worldwide, connecting ancient agricultural history to every spray you apply.
At a Glance
1
Feature this note
India
Primary source region
Ingredient Details
Fermentation and distillation (for alcohol); volatile solvent extraction (for absoluto)
Whole stalk (juice for alcohol, shredded cane for solvent extraction)
Did You Know
"The Fragrance Foundation awarded Demeter Fragrance Library's Sugar Cane two FiFi Awards in 2001, including Best Fragrance in America."