What is ambergris? (noun) ˈam-bər-ˌgris, -ˌgrē(s)

Ambergris was once considered the second most precious treasure of the sea—after pearls, writes the academic Richard Stamelman, in his encyclopaedic tome, Perfume: Joy, Obsession, Scandal, Sin (Rizzoli, 2006).

The substance is produced in the stomach of the Sperm whale, where it protects the intestinal lining against a certain cuttlefish in the diet of this giant of the sea. It is secreted by the whale and floats to the surface of the ocean, where it dries in the sun and eventually floats to shore. Long ago, it was once harvested from the waters near Sumatra, Molucca and Madagascar, writes Stamelman.

In perfumery, ambergris delivers a woody, balsamic, leathery essence, and is used as a fixative to stabilize other more volatile ingredients. It adds depth and warmth to a fragrance.

Fragrance trivia: Ambergris was also used to spice food in the Middle Ages, says Stamelman. He also mentions Nostradamus’ belief in the aphrodisiac potential of ambergris: the 16th-century astrologer and physician thought the ingredient was capable of increasing a man’s seminal fluid.

And FYI, ambergris has also inspired the name of this very website, The Whale & The Rose.

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