2-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (Salicyl alcohol, Salicain, Diathesin, Saligenin, Saligenol, o-Methylolphenol, α,2-Toluenediol), which can be found in a number of food items such as red huckleberry, rye, jerusalem artichoke, and ceylon cinnamon, is precursor of salicylic acid and is formed from salicin by enzymatic hydrolysis by Salicyl-alcohol beta-D-glucosyltransferase or by acid hydrolysis.