Orange blossom is one of the most popular white flowers in fragrance, its olfactory profile is immeasurably rich. Its sweet and delicate scent embodies the candor of childhood as well as feminine sensuality. Orange blossoms are the flowers of the sour orange tree, better known as the bitter orange tree – Citrus aurantium. This plant is highly coveted in the world of perfume for its delicate scent and its fresh and floral notes. It is mainly cultivated for fragrance, food and aromatherapy. However, many products can be obtained from the leaves, flowers and fruits.
History
Originally from China or India, the origins of the citrus tree remain questionable. Some legends say that it grew wild on the southern slopes of the Himalayas and the mountains of southern China. It was in the 9th century that the bigaradier was imported into the Mediterranean basin. It is said that the cultivation of orange trees began a long time ago in Portugal and that all the plants derive from the first and only one imported from China, which is still alive in Lisbon in the house of Count Saint Laurent.
The crusaders spread it in Italy and even in Provence. At that time the Arabs had already imported it to Spain, along with the distillation technique used to obtain neroli oil. Soon, the bitter orange trees became very popular.
It is since very common in Spain, Italy, the North Africa and in Provence for its medicinal virtues and its aromatic properties in the dishes. From the 19th century the orange tree began to be used as a perfume plant and its white flowers became an essential element of the perfumer’s palette.
Sourcing
Robertet mainly sources its orange blossom from Tunisia, the world’s leading producer of orange blossom, a strategic channel for Robertet. Orange trees are mainly grown in the north-east of the country, where they flourish thanks to the Mediterranean climate, which is sunny and refreshing in winter. The plantations are generally protected by windbreakers, to protect the flowers from strong winds.
The first flowers appear after 3 years, however it takes about 10 years for a tree to reach maturity for the production of fragrant ingredients, which is why most trees are transplanted onto another bigaradier to gain 5 years. At maturity the tree reaches about 3m in height, it is rounded with oval and shiny leaves.
For the petitgrain, which requires the distillation of the branches and leaves, the tree is sourced in Paraguay, the leading producer of Petitgrain. Robertet obtains its Petitgrain essential oil from a long-standing partner in Paraguay. We have been working with him since the early 2000s. The supply chain is organized around small producers, mainly in San Pedro, who grow and harvest bitter orange trees and then distill the leaves and branches. The producers practice an environmentally friendly agriculture that does not use chemical inputs, pesticides or irrigation. The Petitgrain in Robertet’s products is traceable back to the production area.
Harvest and Yields
Orange trees bloom in early spring and the flower harvest begins in March and lasts until April. The first harvest of the leaves usually takes place 3 years after the trees are planted.
A tree produces between 10 and 15kg of flowers per harvest, the harvest lasts 4 weeks at most and a picker can harvest up to 10kg of flowers per day for the neroli. The yields are very low, it takes a ton of flowers to obtain up to 1.3kg of neroli or 1.4kg of orange flower absolute.
Products
In our industry we produce mainly petitgrain and neroli, two iconic products in the world of fragrances, but their olfactory profile changes according to the terroir and the type of transformation used.
By distillation of its buds we obtain a fresh essence called Neroli, and by solvent extraction, a warmer and headier absolute. Its floral water is used to flavor Mediterranean pastries. The Petitgrain is obtained by steam distillation of the leaves and branches of the bitter orange tree.
Petitgrain
Petitgrain is an essential oil produced from the distillation of the leaves and branches of the orange tree. It is native to Paraguay where Robertet is sourcing. The tree is grown in the eastern part of Paraguay. San Pedro is the first Petitgrain producing department (more than 90% of the national production), followed by Canindeyú, Cordillera and Caaguazú.
The harvest takes place between October and February. The first harvest of the leaves usually takes place 3 years after the trees are planted. Since the tree produces fruit almost all year round, a plot can be harvested two to three times per season. The leaves and small branches are cut manually, with a machete.
The leaves and small branches are collected and directly processed by steam distillation. This operation generally takes place near the harvesting areas. The Petitgrain essence obtained is liquid, pale yellow in color. Its smell is fresh, floral, with bitter and spicy notes.
Yields are relatively low, as it takes about 300kg of branches to obtain 1kg of essential oil.
Petitgrain has a fresh, sweet, floral scent with underlying bitter and spicy tones. Like neroli, Petitgrain can be combined with all citrus notes, many floral notes (rose, jasmine, ylang), tobacco-hay and woody notes.
Neroli
Neroli is the essential oil obtained by distillation of the flowers, it is used in perfumery as well as in the food and pharmaceutical industry.
Coming from a unique Tunisian soil, the flowers are harvested by hand and then treated by hydro distillation. For 1000kg of flowers, we add 700 liters of water which is heated thereafter to entrain the volatile molecules towards a condenser or on one side is collected the essential oil of neroli and the other the water of the flower of orange blossom.
The essential oil of Neroli has a fresh and floral smell, typical of the orange flower and enriched with spicy and bitter notes. It is rich in linalool, limonene, beta-pinene, nerolidol, linalyl and geranyl ketates. Very appreciated in perfumes with amber character, and flagship ingredient of colognes waters, the orange blossom also enters the composition of floral perfumes or to accentuate fruity notes like apricot.
Orange blossom water is a by-product of the distillation of the flowers and is used in food. Its calming and aromatic functions make orange blossom a recommended component in tea blends and it is also used in liqueur making.
This small flower has the power to appear beneath different identities in the perfumes that contain it. Evocative of tenderness, it embodies the blossoming and sensual femininity similar to jasmine or tuberose.
Source:
Robertet Group
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