Tags: Chemical Compound, Chemical Substance.
Geosmin is an organic compound with a distinct earthy flavor and aroma and is responsible for the earthy taste of beets and a contributor to the strong scent (petrichor) that occurs in the air when rain falls after a dry spell of weather or when soil is disturbed. It is produced by a type of Actinobacteria. In chemical terms it is a bicyclic alcohol with formula C12H22O a derivative of decalin. Its name is derived from the Greek γεω- earth and ὀσμή smell.
