Brandon Olson, Senior Flavorist at Phoenix Flavor & Fragrances, has spent over 25 years crafting flavors that delight and inspire. In this piece, he shares his experience with his favorite ingredient to work with, exploring its history, its role in flavor creation, and why it remains a personal favorite in his lab.
Over the course of some 25 years of flavor creation I’ve been asked many times, “What is your favorite flavor?” I usually respond with the profile that sells! But the more important question is “What is your favorite ingredient to work with?” The answer to this is Davana oil.
The oil from the Davana shrub (Artemisia pallens) is extracted from the leaves and flowers. It is grown in the higher regions of India and has a long history of being important in the Hindu religion. For me, it has a wonderful aroma that I would describe as intensely ripe and sweet. More scientifically, I would say “sickly sweet” but that typically has a negative connotation.
Davana has always been quite expensive but unlike many of its cousins (sandalwood or coumarin for example) it is allowed for use in food. The chief aromatic constituent is Davanone and a few other alcohols and esters that are found among nature. I tend to use it as a tropical note in fruits that I want to be ripe, sometimes to the point of being candy-like. In the last 50 years the profiles of some tropical fruits have been “Americanized,” and mango is certainly one of them. To make a mango flavor sweeter and kid friendly I often use Davana oil, which keeps the label natural and adds a nuance that is hard to replicate.
Not to be underestimated, Davana has a nice odor and a deep orange color all on its own. It remains one of my favorite bottles to pick up in the lab and catch a whiff of purely for enjoyment.
At Phoenix, we are proud to have a team of passionate creators behind every flavor. If you’re looking to bring a truly unique and memorable taste to your next product, reach out to Brandon Olson and our flavor team to explore how we can craft something extraordinary together.