From Coumarou to New-Mown-Hay. A Cultural History of Coumarin Across the Atlantic (17th-20th c.)

This chapter explores the political and historical significance of the smell of new-mown hay through the cultural history of its reproduction for the flavor and perfume industry. Indeed, from the late 1850s to the first years of WWI, the British, French, and American élites were seemingly obsessed with one scent – freshly mown hay – as identified by the molecule responsible for its characteristic fragrance – coumarin – and the botanical raw material that motivated this scientific discovery: tonka bean. Putting into context the discovery of coumarin and its ties to Transatlantic commerce, the chapter considers the historicity of the smell of new-mown hay from a global perspective, highlighting how its political significance is tied to colonial competition amongst Western European empires. Using qualitative methods and drawing from early modern and contemporary sources (mostly in French), the chapter examines the cultural representations of the scent of new-mown hay and the aromatic raw materials used for its production to demonstrate how an ever-shifting olfactory experience can be thought of as a cultural object whose value fluctuates depending on political and historical factors. Despite being intangible and ephemeral, olfactory experiences are true commodities.