Jasmine from India, a discreet ingredient in the world’s perfumery

The air fills with heady aromas when skillful foragers in southern India white jasmine buds are plucked, still fresh, which will then be processed to extract its exquisite essence used in perfume of all the world.

Jasmine only exudes its perfume when it blooms at night, and it is therefore key that the buds are picked before blooming.

“We know when to collect them”, says Malarkodi, who only gives a name and whose expert fingers carefully take the shoots. Then, she collects some open flowers which she places in her dark hair.

Refined, an expression of grace and sensuality, jasmine flowers have been used for thousands of years in India to honor the gods.

In the old city of Madurai, in southern India, the ubiquitous jasmine flower attracts the greatest perfumers. Found in bottles “J’adore” of Dior and of “My Guerlain” from Guerlain.

Connoisseurs say that it is one of the most subtle perfumes possible.

but it is also “one of the most expensive essences in the world”says Raja Palaniswamy, director of Jasmine Concrete, which squeezes copious amounts of fresh flowers into precious drops of scent with intoxicating scents.

The collectors earn around US$1.50 per day for four to five kilos collected, with about 4,000 shoots per kilo.

Once harvested, they are quickly shipped to market and sold for Rs 2,000 to 2,000 per kilo ($2.40 to $24).

“Expression of love”

Madurai jasmine, an Asian variety whose scientific name is sambac jasmine, obtained in 2013 a “geographical indication” of the World Intellectual Property Organization, which highlighted its “deep perfume”.

“It’s exotic, it’s sexy, it’s rich, it’s alive,” stated Thierry Wasser, perfumer “nose” from the French company Guerlain visiting the farm.

Jasmine has a “softness (…) and something floral that is unalterable”, adds Wasser, who buys from Palaniswamy’s company.

In addition to Guerlain, Palaniswamy says it supplies the product to Bulgari, Dior and Lush, among others.

In Madurai, the brilliant white flower is present in every house, in the hair, or in the immense 14th century temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Minakshi, guardian of the city.

Every night, Hindu worshipers make offerings to the goddess, who is supposed to meet her husband Shiva, wearing leis of scented jasmine flowers, during a grand ceremony symbolizing union.

“When you understand that with this flower it is love, brotherhood, family and friendship that are celebrated, when you feel its perfume another dimension is acquired”Wasser says.

“For me, this flower is the expression of love. Spot”points out.

incomparable fragrance

But extracting the essential oil requires a long process.

The collectors never have the possibility to enjoy these pleasures, be it to honor the divinity, celebrate a marriage, attend funerals or buy a luxurious perfume.

In the jasmine field located on the outskirts of the city, the women meticulously separate the branches of the bush, in search of the perfect shoot.

During the harvest season, the factory works 24/24. “Since it (jasmine) begins to bloom, its perfume emanates”says Palaniswany.

Late at night, when the stubborn aroma fills the air, the workers place the suckers in the extractors.

The jasmine is then immersed in a solvent that absorbs the olfactory molecules, before being taken back and brought to a boil, producing a paste called “concrete”.

The concrete is then treated with alcohol to rigorously remove the wax and obtain a liquid called “the absolute”which will enter the composition of perfumes.

About 700 kilograms of jasmine flowers are required to produce a single liter of essential oil, which sells for about $4,200, according to Palaniswamy.

But Amsavalli Karuppuswamy owns a stall in front of the flower market, where she makes and sells garlands and jasmine flowers.

“Perfumes do not equal flowers fresh from jasmine, he says, nothing can equal the fragrance of jasmine.” says.

Source: AFP