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Spice
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| Ginger |
As commented upon in the introduction, zingerone puts the 'zing' in ginger. In mustard oil, zingerone uses its properties to give it its flavour.
Zingerone has properties that give its strength of flavour. The higher molecular weight of zingerone in combination with the polar side-chain carbonyl group make zingerone molecules attract each other strongly. As a result, zingerone is not that volatile. The odour of ginger isn't strong, but the hydrocarbon tail gives it a more intense flavour when it does come into contact with its receptor. Zingerone is also used in artificial flavouring and in fragrances.
A company called "Aroma Fragrance Fine Chemicals" (AFFC) have formulations are used globally for imparting attractive taste and aroma to processed foods and beverages. These chemicals can also add pleasing scents to perfumes, toiletries and detergents. Zingerone is one of their formulations. It is both a flavour and fragrance ingredient. This therefore means that zingerone is important in both processed foods and perfumes.
In industry, zingerone is therefore synthesised using the Kim & Kim's method for this purpose.