[1] Léon-Albert Arnaud (1853–1915) was the first scientist to describe the chemical make-up of tariric acid, an extraction from the glucoside of the "tariri plant" found in Guatemala.

[2] Tariric acid has been found in several oils and fats of plant origin.

[6] Tariric acid also occurs in the herb Marrubium vulgare (White horehound), where it is conjectured to have an anti-fungal role.

It was found to stimulate lipid accumulation by adipocytes in vitro.

[11] In chemical analysis, tariric acid can be separated from other fatty acids by gas chromatography of methyl esters; additionally, a separation of unsaturated fatty acids is possible by argentation thin-layer chromatography.