Printed from smellbook.com/smells/rosemary. This printout keeps the entry for Rosemary itself: its description, reference card, Connections, questions, evidence, related smells, record details, states, names and citation. It leaves out your own notes, the map, the lists of paths, routes, stories and fragrance directions, and the lists headed “Also linked to” (other entries that share its place or material) and “Linked from”; they are on the page online. The entries this one links to are still printed under Connections and Related smells.
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A strong aromatic herb smell with resinous, green and dry Mediterranean character.
Its type, Source, means the smell is named after “a physical origin that can contribute a smell”; it is not an evidence source, such as a study or a book. The origin page for Rosemary (the plant, not this smell entry) lists every smell recorded as coming from it.
Rosemary smells strong, resinous and green, with a sharp, cooling edge and a dry, piney depth. EDITORIAL
Named in the VERIFIED claims about this smell: not a list of what it is made of, and not its cause.
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Links SmellBook records for this entry: what it comes from, where you meet it, molecules, related smells and comparisons. EDITORIAL links are chosen by SmellBook editors and VERIFIED links come from VERIFIED claims. Nothing here is a ranking, and a molecule is not presented as the cause of the smell.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ROSEMARY
Rosemary smells strong, resinous and green, with a sharp, cooling edge and a dry, piney depth. Rubbing a sprig between the fingers brings out a burst of scent that lingers on the skin. When cooked, it softens into a warmer, slightly toasted herb note, and it can be mistaken for a mix of pine needles and lavender.
It is met in herb gardens and on sunny paths where bushes grow, in kitchens during roasting, and on lamb, potatoes and bread. Many people link it with Mediterranean landscapes and warm summer gardens.
Typical settings: herb garden, kitchen, roasted food.
SmellBook links it to 2 place pages: see them in Connections.
2 VERIFIED scientific claims from 2 published sources are recorded for this entry: Rosemary oil composition and chemotypes and Compounds with the greatest impact on rosemary essential oil odour. Each claim says only what its source supports, in the scope shown with it.
9 molecules are named in these claims; see the evidence for the role each claim gives them. Each molecule these claims name has only the role its claim states; one molecule is not the whole smell. Where a molecule is listed as a reported volatile, the claims do not say it shapes the smell.
Rosemary bridges culinary herb and resinous botanical smell language.
SmellBook records one written comparison with other smells: see it in Connections.
Words that are easy to mix up: How do green and herbal differ? and When is woody also resinous?
No historical source or heritage record is linked to this entry yet.
Answers marked EDITORIAL are written by SmellBook editors to describe the experience and add no scientific fact. Answers marked VERIFIED point to claims on published sources, checked against each source's own summary where one was available (each claim's page says how); what each claim supports is in its own text and scope.
Scientific evidence · 2 claims
Chemistry reported
Rosemary oil composition and chemotypes
Rosemary essential oils from six countries were dominated by α-pinene and 1,8-cineole, with verbenone, borneol, camphor and limonene also present, and at least five chemotypes were distinguished.
Essential oil composition, not odour potency; proportions vary with origin and chemotype.
How this was found: Chemical composition. Compounds were identified or measured, without any assessment of their odour. Source: primary study; chemistry work.
Prabodh Satyal, Tyler Jones, Elizabeth Lopez, Robert McFeeters, Nasser Ali, Iman Mansi, Ali Al-kaf & William Setzer
DOI 10.3390/foods6030020Compounds with the greatest impact on rosemary essential oil odour
In essential oils from six rosemary genotypes of different geographical origin, one sample each, flavour dilution factors from aroma extract dilution analysis and odour activity values consistently indicated that 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, 1-hexen-3-one, β-damascenone, 1-octen-3-one, linalool and fenchol had the greatest impact on the overall odour.
Essential oils of six rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) genotypes, a single oil sample per genotype; not fresh or dried leaves; the abstract gives no chemotypes; not every rosemary oil.
How this was found: Odour analysis with human assessors. People smelled the separated compounds or the material itself (for example gas chromatography–olfactometry, dilution analysis, recombination or a sensory panel). Source: primary study; sensory or perception work. Studied: essential oils of six rosemary genotypes, by gas chromatography–olfactometry and odour activity values.
Antonio Raffo et al.
DOI 10.1111/1750-3841.70786Each molecule is named by the claim shown after it. Each molecule named here has only the role its claim states; one molecule is not the whole smell. About molecules in SmellBook
Links chosen by SmellBook editors, not a ranking.
Associations can vary strongly by person, place and culture.
PATHS FROM HERE
Each step is a relationship SmellBook editors recorded in the knowledge graph, named as it is published there. Paths are not ranked or personalised, and they do not mean the smells smell alike.
Each step is a molecule that a VERIFIED claim names for both smells, in whatever role the claims state. Sharing a molecule does not mean two smells smell alike.
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WHERE THIS SMELL APPEARS
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IN FRAGRANCE & SPACES
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FOR RESEARCHERS AND EDITORS
Identity, revision history, corrections and how to cite Rosemary.
CULTURAL: This entry's associations depend on context, language, memory or culture; its description and smell words are editorial. It says nothing about research or historical evidence; evidence for this entry is shown separately: VERIFIED.
How this entry is identified and named, for citing it or matching it with other records.
SmellBook SB-0129 — Rosemarysmellbook:smell:rosemaryhttps://smellbook.com/smells/rosemarySmellBook. (2026). Rosemary (revision 4, 2026-10-25). SmellBook Public Atlas. smellbook:smell:rosemary. https://smellbook.com/smells/rosemary@misc{smellbook_rosemary_r4,
author = {{SmellBook}},
title = {Rosemary},
year = {2026},
note = {SmellBook Public Atlas, revision 4, 2026-10-25, smellbook:smell:rosemary},
url = {https://smellbook.com/smells/rosemary}
}TY - ENCYC ID - smellbook-rosemary-r4 TI - Rosemary AU - SmellBook T2 - SmellBook Public Atlas PY - 2026 DA - 2026/10/25 ET - revision 4 UR - https://smellbook.com/smells/rosemary N1 - SB-0129; smellbook:smell:rosemary; resolver https://smellbook.com/id/smell/rosemary ER -
The citation names revision 4 of 2026-10-25, so a reader can tell exactly which version was cited. Citing records what was read; it does not grant a licence.
Rosemary bridges culinary herb and resinous botanical smell language.
Other entries whose editors linked to Rosemary:
Added VERIFIED evidence through source intake: a study in which people smelled the separated compounds of rosemary essential oils and, with odour activity values, found which have the greatest impact on their odour.
Created 2026-09-22 · Updated 2026-10-25Dataset history In the SmellBook dataset since the first of three dataset releases of 2026-09-30.
No correction notices published for this entry. Corrections policyEVIDENCE MATTERS
SmellBook separates cultural association, community perception, verified evidence, prediction and experimental relationships rather than presenting them as the same thing. Read the evidence guide ↗ See the evidence coverage report ↗