Orris root

Dried orris roots

Orris root (rhizoma iridis) is a term used for the roots Iris germanica and Iris pallida.

Ingredients

The chief ingredient of Orris root is oil of Orris (0.1-0.2%) a yellow-white mass which contains myristic acid. Oil of Orris can also be found as Orris Butter.

Other ingredients include, fat, resin, starch, mucilage, bitter extractive and a glucoside called 'Iridin' or 'Irisin'.^[1]

Uses

Once important in western herbal medicine, it is now used mainly as a fixative and base note in perfumery, the most widely used fixative for potpourri. Orris is also an ingredient in many brands of gin.

Fabienne Pavia, in her book L'univers des Parfums (1995, ed. Solar), states that in the manufacturing of perfumes using orris, the scent of the iris root differs from that of the flower. After preparation the scent is reminiscent of the smell of violets.

Preparation

After an initial drying period, which can take five years or more depending on the use, the root is ground. For potpourri, this powder is used without further processing. For other uses, it is dissolved in water and then distilled. It becomes a highly scented, yellow-brown crystalline form.^[2] One ton of iris root produces two kilos of essential oil, also referred to as 'orris root butter' or 'butter of iris', making it a highly prized substance. Its fragrance has been described as tenaciously flowery, heavy and woody (paraphrasing Pavia, Dutch translation, page 40). It is similar to violets.^[2]

In perfume

Typical iris perfumes (where orris prevails over the other components) are: "Orris Noir" by the London-based perfume house Ormonde Jayne Perfumery,^[3] "Infusion d'iris" (Prada*); "Iris Silver Mist" (Serge Lutens*); "Tumulte" (Christian Lacroix*); "Aqua di Parma"* and "Iris nobile" (Aqua di Parma*); "Irisia"(Creed*); "Y" (Yves Saint Laurent*) and "Vol de nuit" (Guerlain*). "Orris Noir" contains regular orris root oil, not the oil of Iris nigricans, which is an endangered species.

In cuisine

Orris root is often included as one of the many ingredients of Ras el hanout, a blend of herbs and spices used across the Middle East and North Africa, primarily associated with Moroccan cuisine.

Orris root has been used in tinctures to flavour syrups; its taste is said to be indistinguishable from raspberry.^[4]

References

1. Margaret Grieve A Modern Herbal, Volume 2 (1971), p. 435, at Google Books
2. John Charles Sawer Odorographia a natural history of raw materials and drugs used in the perfume industry intended to serve growers, manufacturers and consumers, p. 108, at Google Books
3. "Orris Noir Perfume Collection". Ormonde Jayne. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
4. Chase, Alvin Wood (1888). "Saloon Department: Syrups". Dr. Chase's recipes: or, Information for everybody (23 ed.). R. A. Beal. p. 44.