PubChem CID · CC0
2-phenylethylamine
Cooking relevance
2-phenylethanamine (phenylethylamine) is a trace alkaloid found in fermented and aged foods, contributing to their complex flavor profiles. While present in small quantities, it participates in the development of savory, umami-adjacent notes during fermentation processes. Its presence is typically detected through sensory analysis rather than as a primary flavor driver in culinary applications.
- aroma
- subtle · slightly peppery · trace alkaloid character
- culinary role
- minor volatile in fermented foods; contributes to aged-food complexity
- mass spectra
- 20 verified
Research associations
Literature-derived · peer-reviewed sources only · not medical advice
Foods containing this compound

Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is a food and fibre crop that is grown in cooler regions of the world. Flax fibres are taken from the stem of the plant and are two to three times as strong as those of cotton. As well, flax fibres are naturally smooth and straight. Europe and North America depended on flax for cloth until the nineteenth century, when cotton overtook flax as the most common plant used for making linen paper. Flax is grown on the Canadian Praires for linseed oil, which is used as a drying oil in paints and varnish and in products such as linoleum and printing inks. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. Flax was extensively cultivated in ancient Ethiopia and ancient Egypt. A discovery reported in 2009 of spun, dyed, and knotted wild flax fibers in a prehistoric cave in the Republic of Georgia shows that the plant was already in use by humans at the surprisingly early date of 30,000 B.C. New Zealand flax is not related to flax but was named after it, as both plants are used to produce fibers.
The lychee (Litchi chinensis) (Chinese: ??; pinyin: lì zh?) is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of China, and now cultivated in many parts of the world. The fresh fruit has a "delicate, whitish pulp" with a floral smell and a fragrant, sweet flavor. Since this perfume-like flavor is lost in the process of canning, the fruit is usually eaten fresh.
Source
Compound data linked to PubChem CID 1001, public domain via NCBI. Culinary context + ingredient mappings are maintained by Foodgeist's enrichment fleet and continuously re-matched by the pairings engine. PubChem CID 1001























