Demeter Fragrance wish list

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Demeter Fragrance:

Junior Mints - A cool, crisp and sensual combination of peppermint, wild mint, cocoa bean, vanilla and dark chocolate.
Baby Powder - As clean and as fresh as it gets, just like the proverbial freshly powdered baby’s behind. But nothing ever comes to be exactly as you expect it to.
The Johnson & Johnson Company was a leader in antiseptic medicinal plasters in the 1880’s. In the 1890’s, the Company started shipping Italian talc with their plasters, to reduce irritation. Soon customers were asking for more talc, and shortly thereafter, that scented talc was being sold as baby powder, creating the link in our minds between the scent of baby powder and fresh cleanliness. It is that fresh scent that is the inspiration for Demeter’s Baby Powder.
Laundromat - This is simply the freshest, cleanest scent imaginable. We don’t know if anyone can tell us why, but this may be the most comforting, comfortable scent in the Library.
And if you can tell us, please drop us a note…
J.F. Cantrell, having noticed that personal washing machines are a luxury many of his neighbors cannot afford, opens the first Laundromat, in Fort Worth, Texas. Soon thereafter, household appliances will get a facelift as the popularity of streamline design grips America. At Demeter, we celebrate April 18th as the inspiration for the freshest, cleanest scent we know, our version of Laundromat cologne.
Kahala - It is difficult to think of Hawaii, or Kahala, without thinking of the warm and peaceful pacific Ocean breezes.
Kahala by Demeter Fragrance Library perfectly captures that early morning moment when the sea salt scent of the ocean off of the Hawaiian beach is as pure and peaceful as sunlight itself.
Hot Fudge Sundae - Various American localities claim the invention of ice cream topped with syrup. The earliest documentation points to Ithaca, New York, as the birthplace of the treat, and while the Hot Fudge Sundae may have been invented in Ithaca 100 years ago, it took Jelly Belly by Demeter Fragrance Library to perfect it.
While the dominate note is chocolate fudge, you will find whipped cream, vanilla and Jelly Belly Very Cherry blended subtly into the mix.
Enjoy the richness, and... the lack of calories.
Rain - Have you ever considered the olfactory side of rain? You know it's coming, you can smell it in the air (exactly!). It does seem that on summer days when it is hot and dry, with a thunderstorm brewing just over the next hill, you can `smell the rain.’ Well, you can smell something, but rain? Have you ever tried to smell this same rain in January when the ground is frozen solid? Not a chance, but when the ground and plants are warmer, you can smell something. What you really smell comes not from the air, but the ground! Plants release oils that enter the soil and blend with the other earthy odors. These odors are released into the air when the relative humidity at ground level exceeds 75 percent. Moist humid air will transmit odors far better than dry air. In these moist humid conditions we notice these odors more readily. And since rain is so often connected with moist humid air, we tend to associate one with the other. The Demeter Fragrance Rain captures this complex sensory moment perfectly. Like poetry, Rain is subtle and difficult to define, but real, with Rain being the cleanest and most delicate of all Demeter fragrances.
Gingerale - Real bubbles up your nose. Yes, the real feeling of the bubbles. We worked on it for years before released it to get it just right. Give it a whiff and you'll understand. The name "SODA" was coined in the early nineteenth century, but the product's true beginnings go back several centuries to biblical times when bubbling waters from natural springs with minerals dissolved in the water were a much sought after delight. As early as 400 B C, the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote a book enticed, "Airs Waters, and Places", touting the powers of naturally carbonated mineral waters. In Europe beginning in the late seventeen hundreds, it became fashionable to visit the natural mineral springs to either drink of the "healthful" waters or to bathe in them. Spas were also becoming popular in the New World, and as early as 1767, the waters of Jackson's Spa in Boston were bottled and sold to satisfy a rapidly growing demand for its therapeutic miracles. Scientists soon perfected a way of producing artificially carbonated water in the laboratory. By the 1830's, both artificial and natural mineral waters were considered healthy and refreshing products in America. But pharmacists, believing they could improve upon their curative properties, experimented with a multitude of ingredients from birch bark to dandelions. While no miracle cures developed, some very interesting flavors and tastes were discovered. Ginger ale, root beer, sarsaparilla, lemon and strawberry were among the most popular of the early flavors. In 1890 John J McLaughlin opened a plant in Toronto, Canada to bottle soda water. In 1907, the name CANADA DRY was given to the pale dry ginger ale he made, and a 20th century icon came into being. Today you can enjoy that dry, not-too-sweet freshness all the time with Demeter Ginger Ale. You can even experience the “fizz”; although how we do that will have to remain our secret.
Sugar Cookie - Yum, sweet and simple.
The Frisbie Baking Company: In this otherwise simple baking operation we find the origin of the earliest Frisbee! The company offered a variety of bakery goodies, including pies and cookies, and therein resides the root of the controversy, for there are two crusty schools concerning Frisbee's origins: the Pie-Tin School and the Cookie-Tin School, each camp holding devoutly to its own argument.
The Pie-Tin School claim Yale students bought Frisbie's pies (undoubtedly a treat in themselves) and tossed the prototype all over Eli's campus. These early throwers would exclaim "Frisbie" to signal the catcher. And well they might, for a tin Frisbee is something else again to catch. The Cookie-Tin School agrees on these details save one: they insist that the true, original prototype was the cookie-tin lid that held in the goodness of Frisbie's Sugar Cookies.
Not surprisingly, at Demeter, we subscribe to the Cookie-Tin school, although our Sugar Cookie is not based on the old Frisbie Baking recipe. Demeter Sugar Cookie smells like the founder’s mother’s cookies, clipped from the Ladies Home Journal in 1963.
Snow - Remember what newly fallen snow smells like? Or a fresh snowball? This is it. And we worked on it for quite awhile to get it right. Take note too southern Californians, Hawaiians, Floridians, Carlbbeans, and other denizens of warmer climes, this is lovely!
All precipitation (rain and snow) comes from water vapor in the air. If the air is warm, the frozen droplets melt and fall to the earth as rain. If the air is cold enough the water vapor crystallizes around a speck of ice or dust and falls to the earth as snow. If there is no dust for the water vapor to crystallize on, it will remain in the air as a cloud.
There are many different types of snow related to the many different shapes of snowflakes that exist. The Eskimos, or Inuits, who live in the north, have developed many words in their language to describe the different types of snow. Some of these are:
• anniu-- falling snow
• api-- ground snow
• siqoq-- smoky, drifting snow
• upsik-- wind-beaten snow
• kimoaqtruk-- snow drift
• salumaroaq-- smooth snowy surface of fine particles
• natatgonaq-- rough snowy surface of large particles
At Demeter, after years of effort, we were able to capture the essence of snow in a scent; chilling, cool, clean and fresh, with a touch of dust (necessary to form flakes) and earth (upon which to rest). There is literally nothing like it outside of the Demeter Fragrance Library. The Fragrance Foundation recognized this unique fragrance reproduction as the Best Fragrance in America in 2000, awarding Demeter’s Snow two FiFi Awards, the fragrance version of an Oscar.
Brownie - OK Mom, I still need you for something...
The name comes from the deep-brown color of the cookie. The first known published recipe for "brownies" appeared in the Sears, Roebuck Catalogue in 1897. It was created when a careless cook failed to add baking powder to a chocolate-cake batter (the dense, fudgy squares had been made for some time by women who received the recipe by word of mouth). Our version is rich, deep, and of course, chocolaty, based on memories of those special afternoons when we would come home from school to find that grandma had been baking. These days, however, the most important part of the experience is that Demeter Brownie is NO-CAL.
Green Tea - Green tea leaves are said to eliminate stress and make you feel younger. Sounds like a plan.
Demeter’s Green Tea is a soft, rounded fragrance, with a fresh green, slightly spicy scent.
Redhead in Bed - 2 parts gin splash of lemon muddled strawberries simple syrup Shake together gin, lemon juice, syrup, and ice. Strain into martini glass over strawberries. Garnish with strawberry and enjoy!
Waffle Cone - The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903 U.S. Patent No. 746971. Although Marchiony is credited with the invention of the cone, a similar creation was independently introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair For folks who lived anywhere near St. Louis, Missouri, the biggest event in the summer of 1904 was the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, which took place in that city. No one knew beforehand, but that exposition was the occasion where ice cream cones were first made and sold, although this was not a planned event. This is how it happened. Charles Menches sold his ice cream in dishes the way every other ice cream man did. That August when the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was at its height, was a real scorcher, and one day disaster struck Mr. Menches. There were so many hot and thirsty fairgoers wanting ice cream that he ran out of dishes. And it wasn't even noon! He had more than half a day of business ahead of him and not a single dish to serve his ice cream. What did Menches do? Nearby was a stand where his friend, Ernest Hamwi, who was from Syria, was selling a Middle Eastern treat called Zalabia. Zalabia consists of a crisp, wafer-like pastry sold with syrup. "Give me Zalabia!" cried Menches. He rolled up the Zalabia, scooped his ice cream on top, and presto! Ice cream cones were born, and with it, summer treat extraordinaire, now available Demeter-style, sans calories.
Vanilla Cake Batter - Have you ever stopped to think about your "irresistible list"? You know what I mean - things that always get your attention, make your heart beat faster? It’s either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you choose to look at it, that I've always leaned somewhat toward self-indulgence. Therefore, my list of “irresistible” is rather long. Very close to the top is one of the simplest, most basic, yet most satisfying, comforting desserts in all the world: Vanilla Cake, or more to the point, Vanilla Cake Batter. Is there any better memory than licking the bowl and Mom’s big spoon?
Chocolate Covered Cherries - In 1629 the colonists coming to America brought about two dozen different varieties of cherries with them. Later, the pioneers carried seeds and trees west. The wild cherries called chokecherries, Prunus virginiana, were already known to Native Americans.
Currently over 900 varieties of sweet cherries are recorded, and 300 sour cherry varieties. In Japan over 100 cherry varieties are grown, with the number of petals per blossom ranging from the usual five to twenty, fifty and even an amazing one hundred petals per blossom, with colors ranging, from white, to pink, to a pale yellow.
It was the French, however, who had the brilliance to mix the cherry with Kirsch, a colorless liqueur that originated in Germany, made from distilled juice of black cherries and crushed cherry stones, and cover the entire ensemble in chocolate, and voila!; the Griotte, or chocolate covered cherry, was born.The smooth, silky sensuousness of this mouth-watering treat is captured, in all its glory, in Demeter’s Chocolate Covered Cherries.
Cranberry - Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America -- the other two are blueberries and Concord grapes. This tasty little berry was a staple in the diets of American Indians long before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. They used cranberry juice to dye their rugs and blankets a colorful red. And, they believed the cranberry had special powers to calm the nerves.
Almond - Stop us....before we eat the whole bowl --- smoked, plain, sugar-glazed, Cajun, whatever… (We know it's rude, but we're a bit compulsive).
More than just foods, throughout history, almonds have maintained religious, ethnic and social significance. The Bible's "Book of Numbers" tells the story of Aaron's rod that blossomed and bore almonds, giving the almond the symbolism of divine approval. They were used as a prized ingredient in breads served to Egypt's pharos. The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm. Today, Americans give guests at weddings a bag of sugared almonds, those wonderful Jordan Almonds. In Sweden, cinnamon-flavored rice pudding with an almond hidden inside is a Christmas custom. Find it, and good fortune is yours for a year.
At Demeter, the main significance of the almond is, naturally, its scent, which we admire. Consequently, we are pleased that in our Almond Pick-Me-Up cologne .has perfectly captured the fullness of the scent of the lightly toasted, sweet California almond, for you to experience and enjoy when and where you like.
Apple Pie - “As American as Apple Pie!” How many times has that phrase been uttered over the years? But is it true? Well, yes and no. Not to upset the Founding Fathers, but Apple Pie, like most American customs and traditions, is European in origin. Indeed, pies were especially popular during the reign of Elizabeth I.
No one knows who ate the first slice, but pie in one form or another has existed since the ancient Egyptians made the first pastry-like crusts. The early Romans, who probably learned about it from the Greeks, probably made the first pies we would recognize as pies. The Roman, Cato the Censor, published the first written recipe: a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie. The Romans then spread the word around Europe, including England.
Evan Jones, in American Food the Gastronomic Story, writes: Some social chroniclers seem convinced that fruit pies as Americans now view them originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch. Potters in the southeastern counties of that state were making pie plates in the early 18th century and cooks began to envelop in crispy crusts every fruit that grew I the region. “It may be,” Fredrick Klee asserts, “that during the revolution men from other colonies came to know this dish in Pennsylvania and carried this knowledge back home to establish pie as the great American dessert.”
Thus, Apple Pie, while not originally American, was “assimilated” and transformed into a distinctly American experience. If the food loving Pennsylvania Dutch didn’t invent pie, they certainly perfected it. It took Demeter Fragrance Library, however, to capture the perfect fragrance of Apple Pie, a wonderful medley of Granny Smith apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and flaky pastry.
Bamboo - Sweet, fresh...light, green...
Bamboo regenerates itself eternally. The life span of a single bamboo is not very long-about 20 years-but the grove stands forever. The fully mature bamboo sends most of the organic nutrients prepared by its leaves down through paths in the vascular bundles, which run vertically down the culms, to its rhizomes, which form the vast, complicated underground network that creates its progeny. New bamboo shoots are produced every year from these rhizomes, ensuring the survival of the bamboo grove. It is from the new, smaller shoots of the bamboo plant - very green with a lightly fruity tone-that the delicate green scent of Demeter’s Bamboo Pick-Me-Up cologne is derived.
Birthday Cake - The sweetest kind of cake? Why not? A rodeo on the top? Ballerinas? Roses? Your choice.
Evidence of birthday observances dates back before the rise of Christianity. In pagan cultures, people feared evil spirits - especially on their birthdays. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. As a result, birthdays were merry occasions celebrated with family and friends, who surrounded the person of honor with laughter and joy in order to protect them from evil. Instead of gifts, most guests brought positive thoughts and happy wishes for the upcoming year. However, if well-wishers did bring gifts, it was considered an especially good influence for the birthday person.
The world's largest birthday cake was created in 1989 for the 100th Birthday of the city of Fort Payne, Alabama. The cake weighed 128,238 pounds, 8 oz. and used 16,209 pounds of icing. We could not find what this particular cake was made of, but we can tell you what goes into Demeter’s Birthday Cake Pick-Me-Up cologne- chocolate cake with butter cream icing and pink icing flowers.
Blueberry - Plump, messy, . . . with cream, in a pie, . . . mmmmm, pie.
The American Indian held the wild blueberry in very high esteem, due to the fact that the blossom end of each blueberry forms a five points star. It was believed the "Great Spirit" sent these star berries to relieve the hunger of children during a famine. Indians also used blueberries for medicinal purposes and made a strong aromatic tea from the root. Blueberries were dried, beaten into a pulp/powder and combined with cornmeal, honey and water to make a pudding called "Sautauthig".
North America is the world's leading blueberry producer, accounting for nearly 90% of world production at the present time. Thus, Blueberry Pick-Me-Up Cologne spray, made from the extract of the juice of the blueberry, is a quintessentially America scent.
Champagne Brut - Tiny bubbles...
Champagne, France, is home to the bottle beverage enjoyed by many on New Year's Eve. Champagne was first made by a monk, Dom Perignon, in 1688. He was appointed treasurer at the Abby of Hautcillers to develop the areas wine industry and part of his duties included managing the wine making and cellars.
Perignon made a beverage with bubbles that would explode in storage. The bubbles in the champagne and sparkling wine develop during the fermentation process. This was not the outcome Perignon had wanted to achieve. He wanted to prevent the bubbles and make a wine more pleasing to the courts. However, after people tasted the fizzy beverage, they started to demand it and the drink became the rage in Europe. You'll notice the champagne is bottled in thicker glass than wine, for instance, and that the corks are thicker, too. Perignon used thicker bottles and cork stoppers to prevent the bottles from exploding during the fermentation process.
Perignon mastered the art of blending grapes to create different tastes. Brut refers to the extremely dry quality of the wine, which means that the wine lacks residual sugar, or sweetness.
Demeter Fragrance Library’s Champagne But is captures the delicate scent of this bubbly white wine, with a hint of fruit, and maybe a bit more sweetness that Dom Perignon would have approved of.
Chocolate Chip Cookie - Ruth Graves Wakefield graduated from the Framingham State School of Household Arts in 1924. After graduation, together with her husband, she bought a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn. Ruth Wakefield prepared the recipes for the meals served to the guests at the Inn and gained local notoriety for her deserts. One of her favorite recipes was for Butter Drop Do cookies. The recipe called for the use of baker's chocolate and one day Ruth found herself without the needed ingredient. She substituted a semi-sweet chocolate bar cut up into bits. However, unlike the baker's chocolate the chopped up chocolate bar did not melt completely, the small pieces only softened.
As it so happened the chocolate bar had been a gift from Andrew Nestle of the Nestle Chocolate Company. As the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe became popular, sales of Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bar increased. Andrew Nestle and Ruth Wakefield struck a deal. Nestle would print the Toll House Cookie recipe on its packaging and Ruth Wakefield would have a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. The rest, of course is history.
Now the Demeter Fragrance Library is making history of its own, with Demeter’s wearable version of the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Demeter’s Chocolate Chip is a combination of light and dark chocolate, freshly baked but not too doughy. All of the flavor, none of the calories!
Chocolate Mint - Crave.
God of the ancient Mayas, aphrodisiac of the Aztecs (and they weren't kidding), and spoils of the conquistador Cortez, Chocolate doesn't just melt in your mouth, it's the history of the world. The Demeter chocolate is suitable for gods and conquerors, so use with caution.
This particular version is not a mixture of chocolate and mint, but the actual herb, chocolate mint, itself. Used in desserts, cookie and ice cream, chocolate mint smells like a "Thin Mint" cookie or a chocolate peppermint patty.
Christmas Tree - Happy tree memories, all year!
In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area that was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry. Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.
In America, Christmas Trees were introduced into several pockets - the German Hessian Soldiers took their tree customs in the 18th century. In Texas, Cattle Barons from Britain took their customs in the 19th century, and the East Coast Society copied the English Court tree customs. Settlers from all over Europe adopted their regional customs also in the 19th century. Decorations were not easy to find in the shanty towns of the West, and people began to make their own decorations. Tin was pierced to create lights and lanterns to hold candles that could shine through the holes. Decorations of all kinds were cutout, stitched and glued. The General Stores were hunting grounds for old magazines with pictures, rolls of Cotton Batting (Cotton Wool), and tinsel, which was occasionally sent from Germany or brought in from the Eastern States.
Today Demeter captures that wonderful scent of the Christmas Tree for you to enjoy all year around. Use the room spray to recreate that wonderful Christmas spirit and to evoke memories of Christmases past any time of year.
Cinnamon Bun - Amazing benefits? Who knew?
Dr. Alan Hirsch, Neurologist and Psychiatrist, and Director of Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, discovered that some aromas actually improve brain function. "We finally found a mixed floral smell that more than doubled the speed of learning compared to the no-odor condition."
Dr. Hirsch has made a number of other interesting findings. For example, he's determined that many people can lose weight just by inhaling green apple, banana, or peppermint. He found athletes worked out harder when they breathed peppermint and graham crackers, but for our purposes, most importantly Dr. Hirsch determined that men became sexually stimulated when they smelled the aroma of cinnamon rolls.
Need we say more?
Cinnamon Toast - Amazing benefits? Who knew?
Dr. Alan Hirsch, Neurologist and Psychiatrist, and Director of Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, discovered that some aromas actually improve brain function. "We finally found a mixed floral smell that more than doubled the speed of learning compared to the no-odor condition."
Dr. Hirsch has made a number of other interesting findings. For example, he's determined that many people can lose weight just by inhaling green apple, banana, or peppermint. He found athletes worked out harder when they breathed peppermint and graham crackers, but for our purposes, most importantly Dr. Hirsch determined that men became sexually stimulated when they smelled the aroma of cinnamon rolls. Need we say more?
Condensed Milk - Who says canned food isn't great..............we love this as a scent and get more than a few compliments on it.
Depending on your age and perhaps gender, you may have never partaken of evaporated or condensed milk, at least not knowingly. Chances are your grandmother or great-grandmother made at least one heirloom comfort food using one or the other.
Prior to the nineteenth century, drinking milk was an iffy situation with regard to health risks. Milk straight from the cow was loaded with bacteria. Milk not consumed within a matter of hours in summer soon spoiled in the heat. The idea for a portable canned milk product that would not spoil came to Gail Borden during a transatlantic trip on board a ship in 1852. The cows in the hold became too seasick to be milked during the long trip, and an immigrant infant died from lack of milk. Borden realized his goal in 1854. His first condensed milk product lasted three days without souring. He first thought the condensing process of the milk made it more stable but later on realized it was the heating process that killed the bacteria and microorganisms that cause spoilage. Borden was granted a patent for sweetened condensed milk in 1856. The sugar was added to inhibit bacterial growth.
Condensed milk is pasteurized during the evaporation procedure, with the added sugar making any further sterilization unnecessary, since the sugar inhibits the growth of microorganisms. It is also this combination, of milk and sweet sugar, that gives Demeter’s Condensed Milk its distinctive odor.
Crème Brulee - The origins of creme brulee are hotly debated. The Spanish call it crema catalana and say they invented it during the 18th century. In the south of France, it is known as creme catalan and is believed to have been born there. Meanwhile, the Brits contend that it was first made during the 17th century at Trinity College in Cambridge, where it is known as Cambridge burnt cream or Trinity cream. Indeed, it wasn't until the late 19th-century that the French translation of "burnt cream" (creme brulee) came into vogue, causing the popular perception that it's a uniquely French dish. Demeter’s Crème Brulee is the classic caramelized version, with emphasis on vanilla, cream and sugar, with a touch of burnt, caramelized sugar, and NO CALORIES!
Croquembouche - You don't need to make this difficult Christmas classic to get the best of it. The Croquembouche also traditionally plays an important role at French weddings, baptisms, christenings and other family gatherings. It has its origins as a fanciful, edible architectural structure displayed on the medieval tables of French royalty and nobility. Antonin Careme (1783-1833), the most famous French chef of his generation, popularized the Croquembouche. He created Turkish mosques, Persian pavilions and gothic towers. The entire genre spiraled up and out of control towards the end of the 19th century, but then subsided to manageable dimensions. During the 20th century the Croquembouche has survived as a conical construction of choux balls piled on top of one another, each on a nougat base with a decoration at the top. Demeter’s Croquembouche captures the light and sugary scent of the nougat and choux balls perfectly, in a scent far more delicate than you might otherwise expect.
Devils Food - Devils food cake is usually thought of in terms of dark chocolate, but originally it was red. This was due to a chemical reaction between early varieties of cocoa and baking soda, which also gave the cake a soapy taste. Today cooks, using modern processed cocoa, sometimes add a touch of red food coloring to bring back the authentic color. A light-textured chocolate layer-type cake with a deep reddish brown color, the cake generally has more baking soda, a stronger flavor (and fragrance!), and a darker color than regular chocolate cake. Devil's food cake was the favorite dessert of the early 1900s in America. Today it is also a new entry in the Demeter chocolate scent collection, as deep and as rich as the traditional dessert itself.
Dulce de Leche - Aren't Llatin treats lovely?........this one takes the cake! Created by accident, dulce de leche traces its history back to 1829 in the provinces of Buenos Aires. Tradition holds that a servant left a pot of milk and sugar boiling on the stove for too long, resulting in a soft paste that soon began to tempt palates across the country as an accompaniment to pastries. Instead of reaching for the jar of jam, Alex Garcia, host of Food Network's Melting Pot, encourages you to smear that slice of toast with something a little sweeter, a little thicker, and a little more decadent: Dulce de leche. "Dulce de leche is a very sweet spread. Like nice and thick butterscotch sauce." While it provides a sweeter alternative to jelly, jam, and peanut butter, Dulce de leche also makes a tasty dessert filling, especially for alfajores, Argentina's distinctive powdered-sugar cookies. Recognized by its soft shade of caramel, dulce de leche is a creamy blend of milk, sugar, and vinegar, although the concoction varies from country to country. Our version of Dulce de Leche is a Cuban-American style, discovered on a sweltering summer’s day in a Cuban-American bakery on Calle Ocho in Miami, Florida.
Cappuccino - "Ahhhhh.....we met at Starbucks. I was in a Starbucks, and you were in the Starbucks across the street..." That wonderful line from BEST OF SHOW makes us smile, almost as much as “Venti soy milk Capp with a bit of nutmeg”.
The history and development of the beverage that we know as coffee is varied and interesting, involving chance occurrences, political intrigue, and the pursuit of wealth and power. According to one story, the effect of coffee beans on behavior was noticed by a sheep herder named Kaldi as he tended his sheep. He noticed that the sheep became hyperactive after eating the red "cherries" from a certain plant when they changed pastures. He tried a few himself, and was soon as overactive as his herd. Another legend gives us the name for coffee or "mocha." An Arabian was banished to the desert with his followers to die of starvation. In desperation, Omar had his friends boil and eat the fruit from an unknown plant. Not only did the broth save the exiles, but their survival was taken as a religious sign by the residents of the nearest town, Mocha. The plant and its beverage were named Mocha to honor this event.
Coffee was introduced much later to countries beyond Arabia whose inhabitants believed it to be a delicacy and guarded its secret as if they were top secret military plans. The government forbid transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations. The actual spread of coffee was started illegally. One Arab named Baba Budan smuggled beans to some mountains near Mysore, India, and started a farm there. Early in this century, the descendants of those original plants were found still growing fruitfully in the region.
In 1645 the first coffee house opened in Italy, followed by England in 1652, and Paris in 1672. Of course, by 1668 coffee had surpassed beer as the favorite breakfast drink of New Yorkers. In 1946, in Italy, Cappuccino is named for the resemblance of its color to the robes of the monks of the Capuchin order…and it was, from that moment, inevitable that Demeter would recreate that singular aroma in a Pick-Me-Up Cologne consisting of rich coffee with steamed milk and a dusting of cinnamon.
Espresso - Take us to Italy....barring that, a good cuppa will do.......... With just the power of gravity, water takes 4-6 minutes to extract a cup of coffee from ground beans, and given human nature, 4-6 minutes can seem a near eternity. Speeding up this process of brewing requires putting greater pressure than gravity behind the water. Another more personal human characteristic also helped inspire the creation of espresso. The act of individual preparation of something to be enjoyed expressly for oneself is also a sought after luxury. It is these human desires for speed and individual service that were the roots of inspiration for the invention of Espresso. There were several technological inventions begun in the early to mid-1800s that worked on the concept of brewing coffee faster, but it was not until 1901 that an Italian named Luigi Bezzera patented a machine that employed steam pressure to force water through ground coffee held in clampable filters. The basic design of this machine and the dynamics of how it works is still widely used today in many steam-pressure based "espresso machines" sold to the home market. Demeter has captured the richness, depth, and yes, the attitude of freshly made espresso in our Espresso scent, for whenever you need a decaffeinated pick-me-up.
Fireplace - The method of using wood for heating homes and offices is almost as old as dirt.
It was during the Victorian era, however, when fireplaces started gaining popularity. During that time, people felt that in addition to the production of heat, fireplaces added a touch of class, providing homes a cozy, quaint environment. Over the years, as the style of housing changed, so did the style of fireplaces along with the technology. Fireplaces became more sophisticated, providing sand casting techniques, thus providing an opportunity for manufacturers to create even better designs.
Even with all the changes and advancements, the basic fireplace technology remains the same, consisting of two elements - the surround and the insert. The surround portions of the fireplace are the mantle and sides, and are usually constructed of wood, marble, granite, and sometimes iron. The insert is the portion of the fireplace where the fire is burned. This part is constructed of cast iron and often decorated with gorgeous tile of various color or design.
Demeter has captured a small part of this tradition, with the wonderful, cozy comforting scent of the fireplace on a cold winter’s eve. It smells exactly like your sweater after sitting for hours in front of a wood fire.
Fruit Cake - Not the kind you re-gift......actual delicious food.....yum... The first record of fruitcake dates all the way back to Roman times, which was made with fruit and seeds. In the middle ages, people made their fruitcake a little sweeter with the help of honey and a little spicier with the help of different spices. Still, the history of fruitcake as we think of it today is closely related to the European nut harvests of the 1700s. After the harvest was complete, nuts from the harvest would be mixed together and made a fruitcake that was saved until the harvest the next year. That next year, the farmers ate the old fruitcake, hoping it would bring them another successful harvest. The fruitcake as Christmas tradition is a bit harder to establish, but we have discovered some intriguing facts. The Collin Street Bakery, south of Dallas, Texas began making their Deluxe Fruitcake in 1896, where it became something of a local tradition. Indeed, we are told that The Deluxe you order today is still baked true to the Old-World recipe brought to Corsicana, Texas from Wiesbaden, Germany in 1896 by master baker Gus Wiedmann. The bakery was thrust into the mail order business in 1913 when Mr. John Ringling's circus troupe, upon tasting the mouth-watering DeLuxe, asked to have the local Christmas Cakes sent to family and friends throughout Europe. And so, we believe, began an international Christmas gift tradition. With Demeter’s Fruitcake you can enjoy those traditional Christmas scents all year around, and once again, with none of the Christmas bloat or calories.
Gingerbread - If Hansel and Gretal had only had this, things might have been very, very different.......... Gingerbread has been baked in Europe for centuries. In some places, it was a soft, delicately spiced cake; in others, a crisp, flat cookie, and in others, warm, thick, steamy-dark squares of "bread," sometimes served with a pitcher of lemon sauce or whipped cream. It was sometimes light, sometimes dark, sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, but it was almost always cut into shapes such as men, women, stars or animals, and colorfully decorated or stamped with a mold and dusted with white sugar to make the impression visible. The manufacture of gingerbread appears to have spread throughout Western Europe at the end of the eleventh century, possibly introduced by crusaders returning from wars in the Eastern Mediterranean. During the nineteenth century, gingerbread was both modernized and romanticized. When the Grimm brothers collected volumes of German fairy tales they found one about Hansel and Gretel, two children who, abandoned in the woods by destitute parents, discovered a house made of bread, cake and candies. Demeter’s Gingerbread is a rich, spicy ginger scent, extremely warm and sexy, right for anywhere, anytime.
Graham Cracker - Mmmm......brown bag school lunch treat? S'mores foundation? Yum! Sylvester Graham invented Graham Crackers in 1829. Graham was a Presbyterian minister and avid vegetarian, who promoted the use of unsifted and coarsely ground wheat flour for its high fiber content. The flour was nicknamed "graham flour" after Minister Graham, the main ingredient in Graham Crackers. Nabisco memorialized the Graham cracker as a commercial product in 1898, ensuring the legacy of Mr. Graham and his crackers, which have now carried his name for almost 200 years. Demeter’s Graham Cracker is based upon that American classic, a tempting combination of honey, molasses, cinnamon and vanilla, and a staple ingredient in Demeter’s Virtual Cookie Jar set.
Honey - We think this scent is lick-able. It's just sex in a bottle. Sugary dripping nectar, the result of the love affair between blossoms and bees. There are hundreds of varieties all over the world and you can eat it straight from the honeycomb. Cave people ate it Spain. The ancient Egyptians loved and revered it. And certainly the Romans had a hand in popularizing it. The flavor and scent of honey is destroyed by heating. So, eat it straight from the Jar. Or hive of you're lucky enough. Or just get our Honey and breathe in.
Hot Toddy - Here's a soothing scent for you-Hot dark rum, creamed butter, brown sugar and lemon, topped with cinnamon and nutmeg. This is a variation of Hot Buttered Rum, which the English (Americans too) have been drinking for centuries, also known as Grog.
Leather - Demeter’s Leather is that wonderful smell of new of a leather jacket, or a new bag. Great. We really can't find too many more words for it. And you know it doesn't need it. Just breathe it in a bit. It's a happy "retail therapy" kind a smell. We love it.
Madeleine - This small, rich cake, named after Madeleine Paulmier, the famous 19th century French pastry chef, not only tastes and smells wonderful, but also represents the essential core philosophy of the Demeter Fragrance Library. “We create scents that are drawn from memories,” explains Christopher Gable, one of the founders of Demeter Fragrance Library. “We want each scent to transport the user back to a special place or time. Nothing captures the concept of scent and memory, however, like Marcel Proust’s classic “Remembrance of Things Past”, which begins with the main character inhaling the aroma of a Madeleine pastry dipped in tea. Having not encountered the scent since childhood, the fragrance evokes memories that take Proust 3,000 pages to explore, explain and understand Thus, from the simplest of things come the most complex emotions, thoughts and feelings, and it is from that mystery that the Demeter Fragrance Library was born.
Mango - This fragrance is really subtle and fruity, fresh not syrupy or overly sweet. It makes us want to go back to Cozumel. Now! Mangoes are one of the most popular tropical fruits. It's been grown in India since before 2000 B.C.. In fact, in Indian Vedic literature the Mango is spoken of as a blessed transformed creature. From India the fruit was spread by the Portuguese who took to Africa in the 17th century. By the 18th century it reached Brazil and the Caribbean. And in the 19th century; Mexico, Florida and Hawaii. A young tree will bear fruit after four years. There is a folk belief in India that pouring milk and treacle around these young trees makes the fruit sweeter. We believe in pure fruit, no sweeteners thanks!
Mesquite - The Native Americans used the wood from the Mesquite trees for incense, believing the scent would attract good spirits. Today, we do the same on BBQs throughout the United States, seeking that special scent and flavor of the southwest. But why wait for summer weather? You can experience Mesquite from Demeter Fragrance Library whenever and wherever the urge strikes.
Meyer Lemon - Sweet and not so tart. A prize fruit.
Believed to be a cross between an orange and a lemon, the Meyer lemon is particularly sweet compared with its tart cousin (the variety most commonly found in supermarkets). The Meyer Lemon can be used in its entirety: The peel and pulp can be cooked or added raw to a salad.
The Meyer lemon tree was brought to the U.S. from China in 1908 by Frank Meyer, an employee of the U.S. Agriculture Department. It was used primarily as an ornamental tree until the early 1980s, when a few California chefs, like Lindsey Shere, the former pastry chef at Chez Panisse, became interested in them.
Our fragrance version might give that same lemony lift!
Mint Julep - Spicy, sweet, piquant.............and, of course, minty fresh… Many Kentuckyians would be lost without the venerable Mint Julep on the first Saturday in May. Mint Julep became Churchill Down's signature drink in 1938 when they started to serve the drink in souvenir glasses for 75 cents a drink. Today Kentucky Derby serves more than 80,000 juleps over the two-day event. Mint Julep first appeared in print in 1803 described as a "dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning." Some historians say Mint Julep was born in the early 1700s somewhere in east coast. First Mint Juleps weren't perhaps mixed with Bourbon, rather rye whiskey or rum or other available spirits.
Mojito - Now you can enjoy the delicate freshness of Mojito anytime, anywhere, with Mojito from Demeter Fragrance Library.
The Mojito is currently one of the trendiest cocktails in America, ranked by Cocktail Times as the #2 summer cocktail and overall, the #6 cocktail in America.
Mojitos were mentioned in the James Bond film (“Die Another Day”) and have been used as props on TV shows including “The Gilmore Girls,” “CSI: Miami” and, that barometer of all things urban and hip, “Sex and the City.”
Despite their current popularity, Mojitos are nothing new. Long popular with Havana hipsters, Mojitos date back to the early decades of the 20th century, and are believed to have evolved from the more northern mint juleps. American novelist Ernest Hemingway is said to have enjoyed the refreshing libations of sugar, fresh mint leaves, fresh lime juice, rum and club soda, on the rocks while relaxing on the tropical terraces of Havana and Key West.
Mulled Cider - Autumn in a bottle, with notes of sweet apples, cinnamon, spices.......
Cider is a relative of wine, with almost as ancient a history. Cider was common in England back before the Christian era, where apple trees were worshipped as sacred. Especially in New England, cider was an immensely popular drink with the pilgrims and was drunk at meals by everyone, including children. Even clergymen, while denouncing 'harder spirits', would drink cider as a matter of course.
Ocean - Ah, this fragrance is no more or less than "the breath of the sea". Simple: sun, salt, sand............lovely. Oceans cover 65% of the earth so the next time your near one......do a comparison for us. Meanwhile, take our Ocean with you wherever you, as a small reminder every day how invigorating the ocean can be.
Orange Cream Pop - Demeter’s Orange Cream Pop is a mouth-watering combination of fresh orange, vanilla bean ice cream and the faintest sense of the wooden stick, around which it all revolves.
Good enough to eat... but don't! Don't lick it! Wear it!
What can we say? We're hooked on those childhood memories. Gotta go.....the ice cream truck is coming now...........
The Popsicle was created by accident in 1905. One afternoon, Frank Epperson, then 11, left a mixture of powdered soda and water and a stirring stick on his porch. That night, San Francisco experienced record low temperatures, and he woke the next morning to find the flavored water had frozen solid to the stick.
Epperson dubbed his invention "Epsicle," a combination of the first two letters of his surname and "icicle." He experimented with "Epsicle" variations for friends and eventually created the Epsicle Company of California. Epperson sold his product at amusement park concessions in California before applying for a patent. Sometime after receiving a patent in 1924, Epperson changed the name from "Epsicle" to "Popsicle." According to legend, the name evolved from his children's frequent requests for "Pop's sicle."
The Creamsicle, the ice cream variation on the Popsicle, came in 1938, and it is this treat that provided the inspiration for Demeter’s Orange Cream Pop.
Orange Juice - This Demeter scent is the ultimate wake up call. So easy and healthy. We love this bright, simple, happy scent, just natural, sweet orange citrus.
Paperback - A dusty old copy of a Barbara Pym novel did it for us. This Demeter scent is sweet and just a touch musty, a lot like Pym's world come to think of it. Read her if you haven't. Her writing is wonderful, if slightly musty, English satire from the 60s and 70s.
Popcorn - Picture it: a movie-date, the chance to touch hands inadvertently while rummaging in the bag. Smells like bliss in the offing? That moment, that scent, is Demeter’s Popcorn. How many places of entertainment can you think of where popcorn is sold and eaten? ...At the Movies - which did not happen during the upstart years of theaters for some owners thought that the street popcorn vendor was a distraction to movie goers... at baseball games - who can't forget the infamous verse of "buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack" at the circus or a ball game. With Popcorn from Demeter it is easy to experience those moments, whenever you want to.
Pumpkin Pie - What Thanksgiving would be complete without Pumpkin Pie? The memories of the laughter in the air and the smell coming from the kitchen dominates; pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, a touch of ginger and hint of cloves…
When it comes to Thanksgiving we all have special and fond memories, whether it is of a special guest, the origin of a family tradition, or a particular reason to be thankful. Our fondest memories of Thanksgiving are the ones of childhood. The family would gather at grandmother’s to celebrate. There had to have been at least 50 or more of us there. The kids would be outside playing, while the women were in the kitchen cooking and the men where in the living room watching football on TV (not very millennium, but that’s how it was).
And, of course, there is the rest of the story… According to a study at the Monell Institute in Philadelphia, the smell of Pumpkin Pie increases the arousal level in men by 40%. Maybe our mothers and grandmothers intuitively knew this as truth; the Farm Journal's Complete Pie Cookbook, circa 1965, says it best: "Men love Pie”.
Punch - This scent is full, fruity and sweet, with the potential for a real kick. The punch bowl is actually making a comeback!
A universal and potent colonial drink, it came to the English colonies in America from the English colonies in India. The word is from the Hindustani panch, five, referring to the five ingredients then used in the drink, namely: tea, arrack, sugar, lemons, water.
Punch became popular in New England just as it did in old England, in fact, wherever English-speaking sea rovers could tell of the new drink. In 1682 John Winthrop wrote of the sale of a punch bowl in Boston, and in 1686 John Dunton told of more than one noble bowl of punch in New England. Every buffet of people the upper crust in prosperous times soon had a punch bowl. Every dinner was prefaced by a bowl of punch passed from hand to hand, while the liquor was drunk from the bowl. Double and "thribble" bowls of punch were served in taverns; these held two and three quarts each.
It came to us thru the Victorian period, and after a clichéd life in 50’s, is roaring back! So, drink up!
Riding Crop - The Riding crop scent (like all of ours, in our somewhat humble opinion) is right on the barrelhead. That wonderful worn leather aroma. This was a naughty name and we couldn't resist. Heck, who knows what mischief you can get into with this one.
Russian Leather - To understand this scent, think of those wonderful old, old leather chairs in a Viennese library. That's what we strove for here. This is a beautiful, deep leather scent with the sweetness that can only come from age.
Sandalwood - Calm is called for. Break out the sandalwood!
One of the oldest incense materials, Sandalwood has been used for over four millennia. Sandalwood is a very important ingredient in Japanese incense, in both traditional and modern formulas.
Today, the Mysore forests are virtually depleted and the remaining trees too immature to produce quality Sandalwood or Sandalwood oil. As the tree grows, the essential oil develops in the roots and heartwood, which requires 15 to 20 years. The core of dark heartwood gradually develops, which is covered by outer sapwood. The sandalwood tree is never felled, but uprooted in the rainy season, when the roots are richer in the precious essential oil.
It is our belief that the highest quality Sandalwood is coming out of Tamil Nadu where more mature trees can be found, and that is what we use for Demeter’s Sandalwood cologne.
Scottish Shortbread - Butter, eggs, more butter, and thou….what could make for a better scent??? According to Jennifer Harvey Lang of Larousse Gastronomique: "Shortbread ia...A biscuit (cookie) rich in butter, which is served with tea and its traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year. Originating from Scotland and traditionally made with oatmeal, it is now made with wheat flour...Shortbread is usually baked in a large round and served cut from the centre into triangles; it is a relic of the ancient New Year cakes that were symbols of the sun." The history of Scottish shortbread is interconnected with the history of dairy farming and butter making in the British Isles during the Medieval Age: "Butter was the other principal milk dish [cheese being the other]. The manner of making is had changed little since Pliny's day...In other branches of cookery butter was an enricher, the accompaniment of cheese in herbolaces or with macaroni; of eggs, milk and sugar in the filling for a flathon; of plain or fancy breads in pain perdu or rastons. For short pastry and cakes, it was at first an alternative to fresh cream, but eventually superseded it, for butter had a more highly concentrated fat content, and was more easily stored...Nevertheless butter appeared in a relatively small proportion of the dishes in medieval recipe books, which were written mainly for and by the cooks of the nobility. It was only in Tudor times that an emerging middle class, which did not despise butter as the food of the poor, began to use it liberally in every possible sphere of cookery, setting a trend that was to last for some two hundred years." ---Food and Drink in Britain: From the Stone Age to the 19th Century, C. Anne Wilson This explains why the first shortbread recipes date only back as far as Elizabethan times.
Stable - Fresh Hay and muck, sweet animal sweat…………….that’s as real as it gets.
Sticky Toffee Pudding - This wonderful buttery and toffee concoction is best in England. It's yummy and sugary and makes us happy. We are particularly fond of the version at Brown's, London W1.
Sticky toffee pudding is a British dessert (or pudding) consisting of a moist sponge cake made with fine chopped dates and covered in a toffee sauce. It was originally called "icky sticky toffee sponge".
The core notes expressed in Demeter’s Sticky Toffee Pudding are the dates and the toffee.
The dessert's origins are considered a "mystery" according the gastronomic journal, Saveur; however the dominant story is that Francis Coulson developed and served this dessert at his Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in the Lake District in 1960. It has been stated by Coulson's former protégé and chef, Juan Martin, that Coulson hinted that the original concept for the dessert was derived from a farm wife in Lancashire.
However it was also found that the Landlady of The Gait Inn, Millington invented it in 1907 and was then sold in the pub much to everyone's delight. In any case, Coulson introduced and refined the dessert to the general public making his recipe completely accessible to all those who asked.
A final story regarding the origins of the dessert involves The Udny Arms Hotel in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire. The hotel has claimed that it invented the pudding for years, and it is true that, if you ask almost anyone from the surrounding area, they will cite the hotel as the birthplace of the dish.
Sugar Cane - Sweet, edible, grillable . . .
Sugar Cane by Demeter Fragrance Library captures both the sweetness and take-your-breath-away freshness of pure, just cut sugar cane. This fragrance so unusual and wearable that the Fragrance Foundation awarded Demeter’s Sugar Cane with two FiFi awards in 2001, one for Best Fragrance in America.
Cultivation of sugarcane probably originated on the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific about 8000 years ago. In one Polynesian account of the origin of mankind, two fishermen, the only people on earth, found a piece of cane in their net. They threw it away, but after catching it by chance for three days running, they planted it in the ground. It grew, and after a while it burst and a woman appeared from it. She cooked for the men by day and hid by night in the cane. How the two men got there in the first place is not explained.
The production of sugar from cane is one of the oldest technological processes. As early as 327 B.C. Alexander the Great reported cultivation of sugar cane in India. By 700 A.D., it was being commercially exploited by Indians in the Sub-continent. At that time, sugar was extracted from the cane by chewing and sucking. Later, syrup was extracted by means of pressing and boiling the cane. This process that was first practiced in India around 300 A.D. became the basis for producing sugar in solid form.
In 1492, Columbus carried sugar cane from the Canary Islands to Santo Domingo. As the cane became more dispersed geographically, cost of production dropped, causing sugar to lose status as a luxury item while increasing its importance as a basic dietary staple.
Sushi - Not what you think it would smell like! Demeter’s Sushi is the fresh scent of just cooked sticky rice and straight from the seaside seaweed, laced with hints of ginger and lemon essences. Simply delectable... after all, if it smelled like fish, would you wear it?
Sweet Orange - Sweet Orange is one of the ultimate pick-me-ups. And, a scent that eradicates the other scents.
Sweet orange cultivars can be categorized into four distinct groups: round oranges, navel oranges, blood oranges, and acid-less oranges. Navel orange history suggests that the navel orange has been grown in the Mediterranean region for several hundred years. The Portuguese probably introduced navel oranges to Brazil. 'Washington', the most economically important navel cultivar, is believed to have originated as a mutation in Brazil during the nineteenth century prior to its introduction to the United States in 1870.
It is this Washington Navel that is the basis for Demeter’s Sweet Orange, a bright, sweet citrus scent based upon essential oil pressed from the peel of the fruit. Imagine peeling a beautiful enormous navel orange in the winter and that cloud of zest that sprays into the air when you tear the peel; that is Demeter Fragrance Library Sweet Orange.
Tangerine - Demeter’s Tangerine is a bright, sweet, juicy fragrance, all citrus with the slightest honey note. It is beautiful and uplifting, but also subtle and delicate. Tangerine is the common name for a variety of Mandarin orange. The mandarin orange is native to southeastern Asia and has been widely cultivated in orange-growing regions of the world. The tangerine resembles the orange but is smaller and oblate in shape and has a more pungent odor, a thinner rind, and sections that may be readily separated. It has a food value comparable to that of the orange, but the fruit is more delicate and subject to damage in handling.
Thunderstorm - Have you ever considered the olfactory side of rain? You know it's coming, you can smell it in the air (exactly!).
It does seem that on summer days when it is hot and dry, with a thunderstorm brewing just over the next hill, you can `smell the rain.’ Well, you can smell something, but rain? Have you ever tried to smell this same rain in January when the ground is frozen solid? Not a chance, but when the ground and plants are warmer, you can smell something. What you really smell comes not from the air, but the ground! Plants release oils that enter the soil and blend with the other earthy odors. These odors are released into the air when the relative humidity at ground level exceeds 75 percent. Moist humid air will transmit odors far better than dry air. In these moist humid conditions we notice these odors more readily. And since rain is so often connected with moist humid air, we tend to associate one with the other.
The Demeter Fragrance Thunderstorm captures this complex sensory moment perfectly. Like poetry, Thunderstorm is subtle and difficult to define, but real, with Thunderstorm reflecting the deep and violent nature of a summer storm.
Tiramisu - Tiramisu by Demeter Fragrance Library is full of yummy chocolate and coffee flavors…what could be better? Everybody knows by now that Tiramisu’ means “pick-me-up” in Italian, for the high energetic content (eggs and sugar) and the caffeine of the strong espresso coffee. There are many different stories about the origin of Tiramisu’. It is a layered cake; therefore some people place its origin in Tuscany, where another famous layered Italian dessert is very popular. It is called “Zuppa Inglese” (English Soup). It is not English and it is not a soup. Instead is a simple cake of ladyfingers or sponge cake, soaked in “alkermes” liquor, and alternated layers of chocolate and egg custard. Layered cakes have been around for long time. The brilliant idea in Tiramisu’ is not in the technique of layering, but in the components. The great invention of combining together coffee, zabaglione cream, and chocolate: This is the true innovation in Tiramisu’.
Waffle - Leggo my……you know the rest. Demeter’s Waffles is a balanced combination of the waffle itself smothered in butter and covered in maple syrup-sweet, but not too sweet. Actually, “Waffles are as American as apple pie”, and like apple pie, are an import. The word "waffle" and probably the food, comes to us from the Dutch "wafel", but the French eat them too, calling them "gaufre" from the Old French "wafla". Whatever their provenance, waffles have been eaten by Americans since Pilgrim times. Europeans eat their waffles as a sweet course, topping them with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or honey or stuffing them with icing. Americans have occasionally served waffles for dessert - perhaps a chocolate waffle with ice cream - but in general we eat them for breakfast with all-American maple syrup. At least NOW we do, if we eat waffles at all. But in the Thirties, and before that, Americans ate waffles with virtually anything that could be spooned or poured over their bumpy, golden tops. And we ate them for breakfast, for luncheon, and for supper. If we served them to guests at a Sunday Night Supper, it became a waffle supper, "sure to be a party guests remember," according to the General Foods cookbook "All About Home Baking" (1933). And we made waffles with just about everything: Cheese waffles; cornmeal waffles; coconut, pineapple, and chocolate waffles; gingerbread waffles; banana waffles; cheese and tomato, date, and peanut butter waffles; apple waffles; oatmeal waffles; and prune, bran, apricot, and even pea pulp waffles (which Pictorial Review featured as one of their best recipes for 1927.) “ Go figure…
Cotton Candy - It's just sugar. With, maybe a bit of magic?
Cotton candy is made from sugar that is heated and spun into slim threads that look like a mass of cotton. It was invented in 1897 by John Wharton, a candy maker from Nashville, Tennessee. They invented a device that heated sugar in a spinning bowl that had tiny holes in it. It formed a treat that they originally called "Fairy Floss."
He introduced it to the world at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and sold huge amounts of it for 25 cents a box (that was lot of money back in the day). They sold about 70,000 boxes in fact. The term "cotton candy" began to be used for this treat in about 1920. In the UK, it's still called "candy floss."
White Russian - A soft and sensual combination of coffee liquor, cream and vodka, Demeter's White Russian is a balanced approach to the bitterness of the coffee scent, the sweetness of the liquor, and the richness of the cream. White Russian is part of the new Happy Hour Collection from Demeter Fragrance Library, consisting of scents inspired by our favorite cocktails, from old standbys to the unique and unusual.
Guava Nectar - Centuries ago, European adventurers, traders, and missionaries in the Amazon Basin took the much enjoyed and tasty Guava to Africa, Asia, India, and the Pacific tropical regions, including Hawaii, where it is considered a treat to this day.
Our Kahala version envelopes the wearer with an exotic, warm and compelling scent.
Lava Rock - The Big Island of Hawaii is home to Volcanoes National Park established in 1916. The Park displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution -- processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture.
The park encompasses diverse environments that range from sea level to the summit of the earth's most massive volcano, Mauna Loa.
Thus, the history of Hawaii is inexorably intertwined with volcanoes and lava, that we captured in this warm and earthy fragrance.
Papaya - Papaya has been grown in tropical regions of the world for as long as history has been recorded. It is believed to have come from southern Mexico and Central America.
It was not until the early 1900’s that papaya was introduced to Hawaii, but 100 years later, the papaya is a staple on the island. Botanically speaking, the papaya is actually a berry.
The papaya captured by Kahala by Demeter Fragrance Library is that of the entire berry, not just the sweet flesh, but also the spicy, pepper-like scent of the black, edible seeds inside, providing a unique and refreshing experience.