Mmm the sweet smell of… cyanide?

You may have heard it before – perhaps seen it on some detective show or another – but the smell of bitter almond can indicate the presence of cyanide. It’s good to know because, if you’re anything like me, a little whiff of this and I would be actively searching out the source. It’s a mouthwatering smell! But why would something so dangerous smell so good?

Cyanide a fast-acting poison that can be lethal, affecting the body’s ability to use oxygen. It can come in solid or gas form and has a faint almond-like odour, but not everyone can detect it – around 40% of people can’t smell it at all. The ability to smell it is inherited – what a gift!

Cyanide can be found in tiny amounts in nature – in cherry pits, apricots stones and apple pips, amongst other things. Just another reason not to swallow the seeds – it’s not just growing a tree you need to worry about! However, you would have to eat an insane amount of pips and pits for it to have an impact. So don’t worry if one slips down.

But what makes cyanide smell so good?

Well, technically, it doesn’t. It’s a chemical called benzaldehyde that gives that cherry, almond scent. And benzaldehyde isn’t part of cyanide. They do have a shared connection though. The plant compound, amygdalin (found in the aforementioned pips and seeds) breaks down into benzaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and glucose. So they’re often found together.

Happily, for the flavour and fragrance industry, benzaldehyde can be created without creating cyanide too, which has led to some delicious creations. As you would imagine the exact flavourings used in Dr Pepper and Cherry Coke are closely guarded secrets, but there’s a definite bitter almond and cherry vibe going on there. And where would we be without Dior Hypnotic Poison, Guerlain L’Homme Ideal or even our own Marzi fragrance. Bitter almond is the star of the show giving it a cherry Bakewell and marzipan scent that’s deliciously good.