Fresh Pandan Leaf Absolute: Capturing the fleeting Rice aroma through gentle solvent mastery

The Unassuming Green Giant of Southeast Asian Traditions

In the steamy rice paddies and village gardens of Thailand and Southeast Asia, pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) stands as an unassuming green giant. Its sword-like leaves, when gently bruised or knotted into simmering pots, release an aroma that has defined countless desserts, scented rice dishes, and cooling drinks for generations. Often called the "Vanilla of the East," pandan's true magic lies deeper: a volatile whisper of basmati rice, freshly popped corn, and verdant sweetness that synthetic recreations struggle to match.

Gentle Bio-Ethanol Mastery: Winterised Extraction to Preserve 2AP

At LOSIAM, our Fresh Pandan Leaf Absolute honors this fragile essence with meticulous, solvent-based care. Far from harsh industrial processes, we employ only high-grade 95% bio-ethanol in a solvent extraction that is deliberately gentle and low-temperature. The freshly harvested leaves undergo maceration under chilled conditions, winterised to preserve the delicate 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) molecule, the very compound responsible for that signature basmati rice and buttery popcorn character. This cooled approach not only safeguards the volatile 2AP from thermal degradation but also retains the vivid, flashy green hue so characteristic of true pandan extracts, avoiding the browning or dulling that heat can bring.

Remarkable Fidelity: From Airy Basmati Burst to Cooling Leafy Depth

The result is an absolute of remarkable fidelity. It opens with an immediate, airy burst of basmati rice and freshly popped corn, clean, starchy, almost steaming. At the heart unfolds a creamy, nutty richness that feels profoundly "green," accented by the juicy snap of freshly squeezed sugarcane. Subtle toasted hay notes drift through like sun-warmed fields, while a velvety, leafy undertone delivers an unexpected cooling sensation, refreshing yet comforting, never sharp.

Olfactory Family: Gourmand / Cereal / Green

Honoring Culinary Equilibrium: Pandan in Thai and Southeast Asian Kitchens

Pandan’s revered place in Thai and Southeast Asian kitchens, folded into coconut milk for kaya, knotted into steaming jasmine rice, or blended into luminous green jellies and custards, relies on this precise equilibrium: sweetness balanced by vegetal freshness, creaminess anchored by earthy greenness. By extracting from freshly harvested leaves and prioritising low-temperature winterisation, our absolute preserves this natural harmony without compromise, delivering an authentic, concentrated interpretation that synthetic blends or overheated extracts simply cannot replicate.

Versatile Applications in Modern Perfumery: Gourmand Twists and Exotic Freshness

In perfumery, Fresh Pandan Leaf Absolute excels in gourmand compositions, where it can deepen rice-like facets, enrich coconut-vanilla themes, or introduce an exotic, photorealistic twist to lactonic and toasted-grain accords. It harmonises with subtle spices (ginger, cardamom) that echo regional sweets, brightens green or fougère structures with unexpected freshness, or anchors orientals with its velvety depth. A judicious touch evokes Thai pandan custard in olfactory form, comforting, addictive, yet sophisticatedly non-edible.

A Testament to Thoughtful Innovation: Bridging Tradition and the Perfumer's Art

Like our Thai Ya Dong's wild herbal earthiness, the lipid-defying roasted coconut, or the citrus snap of Zanthoxylum, this pandan absolute embodies more than raw material. It is a testament to thoughtful extraction, solvent-assisted yet solvent-respecting, where science serves tradition to yield something genuinely innovative for the perfumer's art.

Welcome to the LOSiam Collection

Welcome Fresh Pandan Leaf Absolute to the LOSiam collection: where Thailand's quiet green treasures reveal their most vivid secrets.