Now, it is fairly common knowledge that Basil contains Eugenol, but it is less well known that it also contains Rosmarinic Acid, Caffeic Acid, and others of interest.
These cinnamic acids, particularly the demethylated ones, might be more promising precursors than Eugenol itself - not least because Basil grows like a weed and they are fairly prevalent, but also because cinnamic acids can give the relevant benzaldehyde in fairly good yield.
In fact there is at least one patent on the use of the post-steam distillation biomass of Laminacae Spp for extracting these acids.
What would be nice is if some of the more knowledgeable wasps/dreamers/bees, whatever, could jump in (the more the merrier), yeah, safrole would be nice, so too would piperonal, but I can't grow anything that will give me them in my garden with the ease with which I can grow culinary herbs.
These cinnamic acids, particularly the demethylated ones, might be more promising precursors than Eugenol itself - not least because Basil grows like a weed and they are fairly prevalent, but also because cinnamic acids can give the relevant benzaldehyde in fairly good yield.
In fact there is at least one patent on the use of the post-steam distillation biomass of Laminacae Spp for extracting these acids.
What would be nice is if some of the more knowledgeable wasps/dreamers/bees, whatever, could jump in (the more the merrier), yeah, safrole would be nice, so too would piperonal, but I can't grow anything that will give me them in my garden with the ease with which I can grow culinary herbs.