- Latin name
- Rosa damascena
- Family
- Rose family (Rosaceae)
- Origin
- Turkey (Isparta province)
- Parts used
- petals picked at dawn in May–June
- Raw materials
- rose oil (otto), absolute, rose water
- Extraction
- steam distillation (oil), solvent extraction (absolute)
- Olfactory group
- floral
- Position in the pyramid
- heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- phenylethyl alcohol, citronellol, damascones
Turkey, together with Bulgaria, is the world's largest producer of rose oil. The main region is Isparta province, known as the “city of roses”: every summer tonnes of Damask rose petals are harvested here.
How it smells: Turkish rose is warmer, spicier and juicier than Bulgarian: rich petals, honey, clove and a faintly winey, lemony tartness. The absolute is thick and jam-like, the oil fresher and brighter.
The harvest starts before dawn and lasts several weeks: the petals must be processed the same day, before they lose their scent. The tradition of rose fields in Isparta is more than a century old.
What it pairs with: with oud and saffron — the classic of Middle Eastern perfumery, with patchouli — the “dark rose”, with honey and vanilla — a warm sweet rose, with pepper — a spicy modern one, with incense — a solemn resinous rose.
Good to know: in Isparta roses are made not only into oil but also into rose jam, Turkish delight and rose water, so even the markets there smell of roses.
