SMELLBOOK REFERENCE · SB-0127
Grapefruit Peel
Permanent ID: smellbook: · updated 2026-10-06, revision 5
Character EDITORIAL
Grapefruit peel smells bright, sharp and bitter, with a citrus burst that feels sparkling at the front of the nose.
Words: citrus, bitter, bright, sharp. Families: Fresh and clean, Sharp and bitter.
Met in: Kitchen.
Evidence
Scientific evidence
- Volatiles of grapefruit peel oil (CLM-GRAPEFRUIT-001). Simon Muhoho Njoroge, Hiroshi Koaze, Paul Nyota Karanja & Masayoshi Sawamura, Volatile Constituents of Redblush Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) and Pummelo (Citrus grandis) Peel Essential Oils from Kenya, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005.
Molecules named in these claims: limonene, α-pinene, α-terpinene, nootkatone. A molecule listed here is named in a VERIFIED claim about this smell. It is not presented as the cause of the smell; each claim says what its source supports.
Cite
SmellBook. (2026). Grapefruit Peel (revision 5, 2026-10-06). SmellBook Public Atlas. smellbook:smell:grapefruit-peel. https://smellbook.com/smells/grapefruit-peel
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