Tonka beans
Tonka Bean is one of the most common ingredients in perfumery. These black, wrinkled seeds of the Dipteryx odorata (often mentioned as “cumaru” or “kumaru”) are also found in numerous other products such as soaps or tobacco, where they are used to improve aroma. Cumaru belongs to the Fabriceae family of plants and it is native to South America. Therefore, some of the world’s largest producers are countries of this region including Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana. The name “Tonka” originates from Galibi language, native to population of French Guyana. The Galibi word tonqua or tonquin translates to “bean”.
