What I’m left with is the transporting power of the tomato plant’s aroma. At my gran’s house, it went through the window and into the kitchen; The thick, hairy vines emit a wonderfully pungent smell, they can scent an entire room. Indeed, it is the green vines and leaves that carry the bulk of the heady aroma rather than the scarlet fruit. Including the chef Heston Blumenthal Recommend tossing in the stems when cooking with tomatoes to give them that grassy flavor – though be sure to remove the stems before tucking in.
Eva Nemeth
My personal olfactory attachment aside, the scent of tomato leaves is a favorite, and increasingly so. It’s earthy yet a light, unsweet floral. The influx of tomato-scented products into the homeware and beauty markets in recent years and months is indicative of its popularity. This is especially true during the summer months, when tomatoes are in season in the UK. The aroma is distinctly green and fresh – just like figs – and instantly recognizable. It’s sharp, but without any heavy citrus twist. It is herbal, without any medicinal edge.
Tomato Leaf is a scent that I love to use around my house, from candles to skincare, in the kitchen, the bathroom. It is also one of those rare smells that can be so successfully captured and experienced in a product without an artificial quality. DaylesfordofBotanical Vine Tomato’ The candle actually smells, in its strong, garden-y tone, like the real thing.
Another notable purveyor of tomato vine scents is luxury fashion brand Loewe. Its undulating, crimson candles are densely perfumed and have real ‘throw’, as they say in the candle business. The ‘Tomato Leaves’ scent also comes in luxurious body lotions, room sprays, incense and blushing bars of soap. ‘Jonathan Anderson’s inspiration behind the creation of the Home Scents collection, from the start, was to convey the idea of a botanical garden… the plants in his ideal garden’, explains Nuria Cruelles, an in-house perfumer. Loewe Perfumes. ‘We’ve always imagined tomatoes as an icon.’
Capturing, or recapturing, the kind of rural, bucolic joy associated with a vegetable garden seems to be a strong pull for many brands. Companies’ ‘noses’ use the power of nostalgia and storytelling to enhance an already delightful, fresh scent. Find our favorite products below to bring the scent of the outdoors, this summer.
