PubChem CID · CC0
guaiacol
Cooking relevance
Guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol, PubChem CID 460) is a phenolic compound that imparts distinctive smoky, warm character to foods. It forms naturally during smoking and wood-aging processes, and appears in smoked meats, whiskeys, and aged spirits. Its presence defines the sensory profile of smoke-treated ingredients and contributes to complex savory depth in cured and barbecued preparations.
- aroma
- smoky · warm · slightly spicy · phenolic · woody undertone
- culinary role
- primary volatile in smoked foods; key component of smoke flavor in cured meats and aged spirits
- mass spectra
- 6 verified
Biochemical reactions
Metabolic reactions from RHEA (EMBL-EBI/SIB) · peer-reviewed
1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)propane-1,3-diol + H2O2 = guaiacol + vanillin + glycolaldehyde + H2O
1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)propane-1,3-diol + H2O2 = 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde + guaiacol + glycolaldehyde + H2O
vanillate + H(+) = guaiacol + CO2
guaiacol + reduced [NADH--hemoprotein reductase] + O2 = oxidized [NADH--hemoprotein reductase] + catechol + formaldehyde + H2O + H(+)
Research associations
Literature-derived · peer-reviewed sources only · not medical advice
Foods containing this compound
Source
Compound data linked to PubChem CID 460, 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 460
