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vivekc45 · 2 years

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Why Is Everybody Obsessed With Masala Dabba Spice Box?

Whether you are a refined Indian chef or a budding newbie, your kitchen would not be complete without the solid Indian spices that – when combined – will make the perfect curry. Traditional Indian home cooks and increasingly, people worldwide are using the Indian Spice Box (or Tin) – aka as a Masala Dabba Spice Box – to store these essential spices, keep them fresh, and have them to hand all in one place.

In this article, you will study the critical spices introduced in a brass spice box (and that no kitchen should be external!), the rich history following it, as well as some insider tips on storing your spices fresh and flavorful for as long as achievable.

WHAT IS AN INDIAN SPICE BOX CALLED?

An Indian Spice Tin or Box is traditionally known as an antique brass spice box. You might be interested to know that the Masala Dabba has a rich cultural history in India. For example, a spice box would be given by a bride's mother as a wedding gift to learn to cook excellent meals for her new family.

Spice Kitchen customers regularly tell us that they buy our Indian Spice Tin for their children moving into a new home or leaving the academy. We love to hear that the tradition of gift-giving a Masala Dabba Spice Box is still alive in our culture!

WHAT IS A MASALA DABBA SPICE BOX?

A brass Masala Dabba is typically one great (frequently round) stainless steel tin with an airtight lid to store and retain your spices fresh. It is a familiar spice storage container used internationally in many Indian kitchens.

Inside, you will find seven removable tins that you can decant your spices into, together with a metal serving spoon that can use for accurate measuring of your spices.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INDIAN SPICES?

People can suggest being overwhelmed or apprehensive concerning cooking with spices, but here at Spice Kitchen, we find that once people understand what the different spices are. The flavor they can bring to their dishes, the whole thing is demystified.

It's frequently reassuring to grasp that scarce essential spices show up in about every Indian recipe. These spices are used in different forms: whole, chopped, ground, roasted sautéed, fried, and sometimes sprinkled on top of dishes at the end of cooking.

In terms of the flavour that the distinct spices received within a brass masala spice box offer, it's often rather to understand that:

Chilli powder extends the most manifest make of heat but also attaches a lovely vibrant color too. Use sparingly if you are dissimilar to cooking with chili.

Cardamom extends a light and sweet flavor, with mild eucalyptus notes. This whole spice is an essential ingredient in Rogan Josh.

Cumin seeds when softly toasted before appending to your dishes, cumin seeds offer that quintessentially Indian cooking perfume we all recognize and love. In terms of flavor, these seeds are just bursting with deep, earthy tones that will bring a lovely depth of smokiness to your dishes.

#brass spice box #antique brass spice box #brass Masala Dabba #brass masala spice box

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zombiiesque · 3 years

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Nocturne Alchemy Icons

Originally published 4/10/2017

Ahhhh, long, long time no talk, huh? I have to blow the dust off and get back to work! And what better time to get started, than with news about a new release of Icon perfume oils from NA. I'm super excited, and I know so many other fans are as well. But maybe you're unfamiliar with this line of treasures from Nocturne Alchemy, and you're wondering what Icons are?

Well, they are a collection of oudh-based perfume oils!

I have been a bit intimidated to write about these, because honestly, I don't think I have the scent vocabulary to maybe do them proper justice - but I didn't do it last year during the release of the second collection of Icons, and so when I heard there would be a third, coming very soon, I knew it was time for me to give it a try.

Before I get started with my personal review, I want to mention as always, that I am by no means a scent expert. I'm passionate about my love of indie perfume, no doubt! But one other thing I want to say is that everyone's skin is different; so what may work on my skin, may not on yours. There are sometimes notes that are loud on my skin - for instance honey, I tend to amp that note to the point where I can smell nothing but honey in a perfume oil on my skin. I've had a few successes, with honey, and I'm glad, because I love it. I've had trouble even with hormones affecting the way notes work on my skin. These sort of "your mileage may vary" warnings apply to everything I review.

I'd honestly never had oudh in a perfume oil before NAVA, and for me, I was in for a treat. It's become one of my favorite notes, I just enjoy it so much. But I've always liked deep, resinous types of perfumes - I guess it shouldn't have been a shock. I've been given permission from NA to share with you the story of Oudh, and the House of NA, in their own words! So I hope you enjoy reading this and learning about it as much as I did.

"The story behind Oudh and the ICONS by the House of NA: Agarwood Oil was once as expensive as gold. It was considered a gift from the Gods. What is Agarwood? It is the basis of Oudh. On our continuing journey around the world, educating ourselves is an everyday rule. We search amazing perfume distilleries in far off lands like Egypt, India, Australia, and Hungary, as well as places not so far away like Canada and within our own state of California. Within this journey it takes a ‘nose’ to ask the right questions, to find the secret markets that harvest this sacred wood, and to become an observer as much as a student of the olfactory traditional methods of creating these dark and smoky wood revelations. During this time in our perfume journey, we came to the need to produce our own Agarwood, most recently in India. In India we found a very small organic sustainable Agarwood Farm and founded our own place within it. The Aquilaria does not yield perfume all by itself; there is a process and art of infecting the tree with parasitic ascomycetous mould, and in a sense the Oudh comes forth much like Frankincense tear resin comes from a Frankincense shrub, except Oudh is born when the tree begins to die. As the tree is taken over by the fungus, the tree begins to generate an anti-fungus by creating the oil we call Oudh. During this part of the process we take from the tree to create the precious perfume note Oudh. We use an inoculation to create this effect in the roots and trunk of the Aquilaria species, thus producing Agarwood and ultimately harvesting the Oudh after inoculation spreads into the trees, but without killing the tree as the farm we use is sustainable. The original ICONS collection began five years ago in 2012 when we walked through souks looking for that special Egyptian or Arabian object that was Iconic to these places. Looking through barrels of fresh dates, inhaling the subtle and sublime of incense, feasting our eyes on bowls and bowls of exotic and colorful spices, pouring coffee Arabic from an Arab Dallah, touching the silk of magic carpets and hand-woven Prayer rugs…within all the iconic thoughts of these exotic places, scent was always a fixture at the forefront of everything we did and continues to be at the forefront of everything that we do today. It was then that we decided that we, as a company, needed to create a palette of exotic Oudh that not only uniquely represented NAVA, but also would allow us to introduce these ICONS of perfume into our world of perfume oil. Our Oudh is not marked up like all other suppliers, they are a rare specialty created by NAVA and offered far below typical competitive pricing in the global Oudh market. We have used Oudh (this spelling is Arabic, you may also see ‘Oud’ or ‘Aoud’ as the spelling), in some of our blends before, but we wanted to create our own Oudh that was distinct enough to offer to our customers. There are only seventeen species of the genus Aquilaria and of these only eight are known to produce Agarwood and after inoculation produce Oudh. In the Souks in Egypt and Arabia and even in India, there is plenty of marked up Oudh for sale everywhere. Go to a high end fragrance house and ask how much alcohol-based Oudh is. You might be shocked at the price that is mostly alcohol, although it is understandable why Oudh is so expensive considering the time and effort and artistic precision it takes to create an Oudh and the precious nature of the endangered trees. In our best efforts, we have harvested organic Oudh that has not been harmed by chemicals and solvents; in fact, our trees are safe from animals and man alike, protected within a temple property, and taken care of as if a sacred gift from the Gods. Why is our Oudh not as expensive as high end fragrance houses? We do not put alcohol in our perfume oils; we simply use the Oudh as a blending tool and offer a beautiful collection of resin blended oudh for this set of magical scents. These are limited to 99 bottles. Once these sell out, we will no

longer carry them because each lot of Oudh is unique to its particular Agarwood harvest. Each Agarwood reacts differently to the notes that we have introduced in this Resin Collection, and each batch of Oudh oil is one of a kind. We've set aside 50 of each of the perfumes for our Facebook friends during the interim while we migrate our store over to a new vendor online. Once we go live (late Spring), we'll offer the remaining 49 bottles x 4 at the new home of Nocturne Alchemy. We wanted Oudh that was both pleasing to the Oudh connoisseur's nose as well as pleasurable to be worn alone or layered with another NAVA. Only the smallest drop can bring about the essence of what these Oudh compositions were created to be. If you are new to Oudh, try a tiny drop and understand how long this oil will be part of your perfume library because it is built on becoming more supple and elegant with the age of time. Only the SMALLEST drop can bring hours of an otherworldly experience. This is for true perfume connoisseurs. There are many ways to wear these, we recommend the usual pulse points but the discretion is in how much. Oudh is quite potent and will wear down on the skin, but you will find they are sometimes sticky and quite viscous. These resins have been expertly blended and will become better with age. For ICONS III, we understood a lot but we were still learning, so when we took to explore India, we found that a lot of Oudh was exported and a lot of trees died because of this. We wanted to only continue this journey for exotic oudh if the trees were sustainable. We found there were other people that thought as we did, so we bought our own trees and harvested our own oudh and with ICONS III, we used the makhalat method which is blending raw Oudh with the most beautiful notes NAVA has found in the world (Resin for this collection), and have collected over time. ICONS III Resin is our testament to the finest ingredients, sustainable Oudh and housed in a beautiful marble-esque bottle."

Absolutely amazing, and I'm so very glad I was able to share this story with folks. I love to learn, and my passion for perfume has led me on such an interesting journey.

There's no doubt these are special. So far, there have been two releases of Icons Oudh, and the third is just around the corner. The Icons I'm going to be reviewing today are from the previous two releases, and are no longer available for purchase; you could possibly find someone selling one in the NA Marketplace, the secondary market, on Facebook though!

We'll start off with my precious Egyptian Temple Oudh, which was from the Icons I release. Notes are: "A more intense Oudh that softens over time on the skin. Egyptian Agarwood Oudh is represented here and it is recommended for first time Oudh enthusiasts to inhale from the bottle softly or fan the open bottle toward you with your hand to catch the nuances of smoking embers, dried honeycomb and sandalwood."

In the bottle, ooo it's smoky. Mmm, smoky, and a sort of vaguely rubbery smell, and wood. My bottle is pretty aged at this point, so it's quite thick. I've decanted it into the marble-esque bottle you see in my photo, because it's very hard to get out of the 5ml bottle with the reducer cap. Wet on my skin, the smokiness intensifies, and the faintly rubbery smell gets a bit stronger for a minute. But that starts to dissipate almost immediately and the stickiness of the oil sinks into my skin. This is not fresh, unburnt incense. Immediately, I am transported to a temple, where piles of incense are smoldering, smoking. It's unapologetically strong, potent. Absolutely intense and gorgeous. I get the feel of the oudh, the sandalwood is in the background. My fiance is a big fan of this one, he likes all sorts of dark, woody scents, and this one is quite commanding.

Dry, after just a dab on my pulse points, it's really the same. It has incredible staying power, even after I wash my hands several times throughout the day I can still smell it on my wrists. It is indeed fantastic on its own, but as a layering perfume, it's a virtual powerhouse. I love it with so many options - much of the Studio Limited line, like Kashmir, Crystalline, Diamond, Santalum. It's a great base to hatch the Dinosaur collection with, like Giganotosaurus, Cryolophosaurus, Diplodocus, Pteranodon. I've tried it with several limited collection oils, Adele, Anticipation, Witch Cauldron. I like it with some of my OPs, Pakhet, Hathor. And with other oils that have oudh as a note like Phantasm Kiss or Horus Haven 2? Wow! The possibilities are endless.

As far as how strong it is, this one isn't shy - with just a dab, it lasts forever, and isn't hard to find - I often get compliments, or hear people asking if someone is burning incense, hah!

Okay, so that is one of my most prized oils. I have a little dab of Leviathan, from the first collection too, in a bottle, from a friend who knew I'd been wanting to try it. And so I'll give you my review of it. Notes are: An Amber Oudh. NAVA Oudh blend with guiacwood, rosewood, patchouli, nagarmotha, agarwood, atlas cedar and cardamom absolute. The opening note is naturally sweetened Oudh by the Amber notes.

In the bottle - bright amber, woods, and oudh. Wet on my skin, I get the slightest hint of a creamy cardamom, and it's already melding with the oudh, giving a slightly sweet tinge to the edges of this. As it dries down, this is a stunner. The amber feels bright and airy, kind of sweet, and the oudh and woods are a nice balance. I don't catch much of the patchouli, as this is one of those blends that is well balanced, and it's a bit hard to pick out individual notes. I keep huffing, and catch a slight hint of the cedar, and the rosewood, but again, it's so beautifully put together it's really hard to pick up the individual notes, but I definitely get the amber and oudh.

This is just incredible. As I mentioned, I don't have much of this, so I haven't tried layering it, but again as with Egyptian Temple Oudh, I can only imagine what a powerhouse it would be.

Next up, Labyrinth Oudh, from Icons II. The notes are: "Black Patchouli Oudh. An aged true earth Indonesian Black Patchouli wood oil, viscous and sweet and only gets better with aging; blended into a deep Indian Oudh with hints of our originally named: Arabian Oudh and Egyptian Temple Oudh (from the original ICONS series) and a drop of California Redwood Absolute."

In the bottle: Mmm, kind of a dark patchouli? And unmistakable oudh. I'm not getting that faint rubbery smell here. Wet on my skin: I'm getting the sweetness of the cedar, it's melding with the dark patchouli, which is a bit herbal. The oudh is just a bit smoky, mostly woody feeling here.

It's not as thick as my Egyptian Temple Oudh, and has a bit of reddish color, before it sinks into my skin. Dry, this is potent, unapologetic, patchouli. Beautifully done here, it is still a bit sweet, and it's melded with the oudh. It has incredible staying power. As with my experience with other Icons, it's quite strong, and a little goes a long way. This is another layering powerhouse. I have worn it with Crystal, Giganotosaurus, Santal Ombré, California Redwood Crystal Musk, and several others, including some of the Dinosaur collection. Very versatile! Giganotosaurus is actually quite an interesting combination, because it becomes a sort of feminine feeling scent! I tried layering it today with Black Raven, a favorite of mine from the VA side of NAVA. It's a wonderfully dark combination.

I have sniffies of a few other oudhs, from both Icons I and II. I could give you guys a little impression of those in another post, if there's interest! These are all lovely, oudh based oils, and the layering possibilities are truly endless. They are shipped to you in the usual 5ml bottles, and are accompanied by the faux marble bottles, which you can decant your 5ml jar into. I like using the fancy bottles, because these oudh blends get quite thick with aging, and it's easier to access and apply them in the fancy bottles. As with some other special lines from NAVA, like the OPs, these benefit from resting after they arrive, and aging as well - they definitely get richer and more potent with age. There will be 4 new Icons arriving at the site when they reopen, as NAVA has been closed, remodeling their website. I've been quite impatient, as I'm sure many fans have been - I miss them, and I cannot wait to see what the new website looks like.

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and nervously publish this. I must say, I hope that I've done these little beautiful treasures justice. Oudh is a special note, and to have oudh based perfumes has been a real treat for me! I look forward to your feedback, either here or on Facebook, as always. And I'm sorry for my absence!

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perfumesample-blog1 · 5 years

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The Top, Middle And Base Note Of Perfume

Perfume is a popular spray that thousands of women use every day. If you are you looking for more information in regards to Perfume Sample And Decant check out the internet site. With all of the scents and types of perfume available, there is one for everyone`s sense of smell. Perfume can cost fairly little to a few hundred dollars depending on where you buy it and who makes it. There are many designer companies and celebrities who have their name attached with the product making it more costly. Perfume has been around for many years and continues to change and improve. First discovered in Egypt over four thousand years ago, perfume has been a great way for woman to carry a scent that smells nice. In Egypt they used flowers to derive the scents from and in India they captured scents through the use of incense. Perfume smells have changed and been perfected over the years. In the eighties what was popular then would probably be frowned upon now. Today, with all of the choices available there is a style for everyone and all ages. There are six categories of modern perfume. There is the `bright and floral` which contains scents such as a single or bouquet smell. Another one called `Green` features smells such as cut grass and cucumber. Aquatic is a type that holds a synthetic cologne smell, `Citrus` has many different citrus scents, `Fruity` has the smells of many fruits excluding citrus. And Gourmand is a type that has `edible` qualities to it, scents such as chocolate or coconut would fall under this. Experts also use a fragrance wheel that they use to classify perfume. There is the floral, wood, oriental, fougere and the fresh. They contain both the modern and traditional categories of perfume. Perfume is divided into three notes; top, middle and base. The top note is the initial smell a person has, when the molecules rush to release into the air. The middle is the `heart` of the smell and that happens just as the top begins to fade. The base smell arrives about thirty minutes after being applied. Many people think that perfume fades because the nose gets used to the smell, so it is interesting to see just how perfume transforms itself as it sits on the skin. You can purchase perfume anywhere face make-up is sold. Department stores are common for having exquisite glass counter tops full of perfume bottles with samples available for you to take. It is also common to receive a gift with purchase when you buy your perfume from them. The gift can be anything from a make-up case to a gift bag with make-up. Drug stores also carry perfume and will display all price ranges. Perfume doesn`t have to cost a fortune to smell good. It is all up to what you find appealing and how savvy a shopper you can be. Stores have sales and promotions and you can take advantage of. For many women, putting on perfume is a huge part of their morning routine. Some say that they feel strange without it on. Often a pleasant smell will have people drawn a bit closer to you and they might even ask what it is your wearing. However, if a perfume is sprayed on that is a bit too strong, it could have the opposite effect. For best results, buy a popular perfume that you and others love, make sure you just spray on a little and leave the bottle at home. There is no need to spray it on multiple times during the day. The only exception is at night when you want to freshen up your scent. Perfume should last you a few months when used regularly.

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perfumeboutique-blog · 5 years

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Get your hands on, MFK GRAND SOIR. It's a great performer with amazing notes of Tonka bean, Vanilla and Amber. Must try for Niche lovers !!! Samples/Decants of 5/10ml Available. 5ml at only 850 and 10ml at just 1650 only !! What'sapp on 7259107630 for Orders !!! To Order, What'sapp on 7259107630 At Perfume Boutique® India, We bring you all Authentic imported fragrances at pocket friendly prices.Try a Perfume/Sample from us Today !!!! { For daily updates of stock, exclusive offers & deals What'sapp “ADD ME” to 7259107630 } -> Payment :All UPI, COD, Bank Transfer. ->100% Authentic Fragrances -> We Provide Free Express Shipping, CASH ON DELIVERY across India. International shipping also available!! (at Perfume Boutique India) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwlmOR6BhXZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=71k3zoqujcze

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marquisjetset · 6 years

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Destination Travel: INDIA

STAY

The Taj Lake Palace was built in 1743 as a summer getaway for the royal dynasty of Mewar, and was transformed into a hotel in the 1970s by the Taj Group. The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur (Rajasthan’s Lake City) is situated on the tranquil waters of Lake Pichola, with stunning 360-degree views of Udaipur. Guests arrive to the hotel by boat; the residence is both extraordinarily unique and romantic, as it is one of the few hotels in the world to be completely surrounded by water.

Today, the hotel holds 66 opulently decorated suites (each individually designed with the finest Indian silks and fabrics), three fine-dining restaurants, a world-class spa, and a stunning pool area that boasts the most superb views of Udaipur’s City Palace.

Jaipur City Palace, located in the heart of Jaipur, was the seat from which the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh (Prince of Jaipur) ruled. The Palace’s architectural style is an exquisite blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal styles, depicted by its famous vibrantly decorated interiors and romantic gardens and courtyards. Today, the City Palace museum section boasts royal formal costumes, embroidered shawls, Kashmiri pashminas, and silk saris that once belonged to the prince.

Udaipur’s Crystal Gallery, located inside the Fateh Prakash Palace, houses the largest private collection of crystal in the world. This exclusive collection was established by and customized for Maharana Sajjan (King of Udaipur) back in 1877, and today exhibits precious crystal pieces assembled from various parts of the world. The collection includes dining tables, sofa sets, crystal utensils, perfume bottles, decanters, and even a crystal bed!

SHOP

The Gem Palace is one of the world’s most exquisite fine jewelry stores and a must-visit when visiting Jaipur, let alone India. The Gem Palace is owned by the Kasliwal family and has been providing fine jewelry for over eight generations to India’s Royals. More recently the store has been visited by Mick Jagger, Jackie Onassis, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Oprah, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tory Burch, to name just a few.

Entering the Gem Palace is a truly mesmerizing experience within itself. The store, which is beautifully decorated with luxurious Indian wallpaper and ornaments, offers an immense collection of fine jewels, ranging in rare stones, colors, and designs that reflect Indian heritage and style. At the Gem Palace you can find jewels varying from $300 to over $500K.

#travel #private jet

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coolsunny88666me-blog · 6 years

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Essential Oil Extraction by Expression

Expression or cold pressing, as it is also known, is only used in the production of citrus peel are crushed or broken to release the oil. One method that was practiced many years ago, particularly in Sicily (spugna method), commenced with halving the citrus fruit followed by pulp removal with the aid of sharpened spoon-knife (known as a rastrello). The oil was removed from the peel either by pressing the peel against a hard object of baked clay (concolina) which was placed under a large natural sponge or by bending the peel into the sponge. The oil emulsion absorbed by the sponge was removed by squeezing it into the concolina or some other container. It is reported that oil produced this way contains more of the fruit odor character than oil produced by any other method. A second method known as equaling (or the scodella method), uses a shallow bowl of copper (or sometimes brass) with a hollow central tube; the equaling tool is similar in shape to a shallow funnel. The bowl is equipped with brass points with blunt ends across which the whole citrus fruit is rolled by hand with some pressure until all of the oil glands have burst. The oil and aqueous cell contents are allowed to dribble down the hollow tube into a container from which the oil is separated by decantation. Obviously, hand pressing is impractical because it is an extremely slow process, e.g. on average only 2-4 lbs oil per day can be produced by a single person using one of these hand methods. As a result, over the years a number of machines have been designed to either crush the peel of a citrus fruit or crush the whole fruit and then separate the oil from the juice. Pelatrice Process In the pelatrice process, citrus fruits are fed from a hopper into the abrasive shell of the machine. The fruits are rotated against the abrasive shell by a slow-moving Archimedian screw whose surface rasps the fruit surfaces causing some of the essential oil cavities on the peel to burst and release their oil-water emulsion. This screw further transports the fruit into a hopper in which rollers covered with abrasive spikes burst the remaining oil cavities. The oil and water emulsion is washed away from the fruit by a fine spray of water. The emulsion next passes through a separator where any solids are removed, after which it passes through two centrifugal separators working in series to yield the pure oil. Most bergamot oil and some lemon oil are produced this way in Italy.

Sfumatrice Process The sfumatrice equipment consists of a metallic chain that is drawn by two horizontal ribbed rollers. The peels are conveyed through these rollers during which time they are pressed and bent to release their oil. As in pelatrice, the oil is washed away from the sfumatrice rollers by fi ne sprays of water. Again, the oil is initially passed through a separator prior to being sent to two centrifuges in series, so that purified oil can be produced. At one time, sfumatrice was the most popular process for citrus oil isolation in Italy; however, today the pelatrice method appears more popular.

Essential Oil Extraction with Cold Fat (Enfleurage) Despite the introduction of the modern process of extraction with volatile solvents, the old fashioned method of enfleurage, as passed on from father to son and perfected in the course of generations, still plays an important role. Enfleurage on a large scale is today carried out only in the Grasse region of France, with the possible exception of isolated instances in India where the process has remained primitive. The principles of enfleurage are simple. Certain flowers (e.g. tuberose and jasmine) continue the physiological activities of developing and giving off perfume even after picking. Every jasmine and tuberose flower resembles, so to speak, a tiny factory continually emitting minute quantities of perfume. Fat possesses a high power of absorption and, when brought in contact with fragrant flowers, readily absorbs the perfume emitted. This principle, methodically applied on a large scale, constitutes enfleurage. During the entire period of harvest, which lasts for eight to ten weeks, batches of freshly picked flowers are strewn over the surface of a specially prepared fat base (corps), let there (for 24 h in the case of jasmine and longer in the case of tuberose), and then replaced by fresh flowers. At the end of the harvest, the fat, which is not renewed during the process, is saturated with flower oil. Thereafter, the oil is extracted from the fat with alcohol and then isolated. The success of enfleurage depends to a great extent upon the quality of the fat base employed. Utmost care must be exercised when preparing the corps. It must be practically odorless and of proper consistency. If the corps is too hard, the blossoms will not have sufficient contact with the fat, curtailing its power of absorption and resulting in a subnormal yield of flower oil. On the other, if it is too soft, it will tend to engulf the flowers and the exhausted ones will adhere; when removed, the flowers will retain adhering fat, resulting in considerable shrinkage and loss of corps. The consistency of the corps must, therefore, be such that it offers a semihard surface from which the exhausted flowers can easily be removed. The process of enfleurage is carried out in cool cellars, and every manufacturer must prepare the corps according to the prevailing temperature in the cellars during the months of the flower harvest.

Many years of experience have proved that a mixture of one part of highly purified tallow and two parts of lard is eminently suitable for enfleurage. This mixture assures a suitable consistency of the corps in conjunction with high power of absorption. The fat corps thus prepared is white, smooth, absolutely of uniform consistency, free of water and practically odorless. Some manufacturers also add small quantities of orange flower or rose water when preparing the corps. This seems to be done for the sake of convention. Such additions somewhat shade the odor of the finished product by imparting a slight orange blossom or rose note.

Enfleurage and Defleurage Every enfleurage building is equipped with thousands of socalled chassis, which serve as vehicles for holding the fat corps during the process. A chassis consists of a rectangular wooden frame. The frame holds a glass plate upon both sides of which the fat corps is applied with a spatula at the beginning of the enfleurage process. When piled one above the other, the chassis form airtight compartments, with a layer of fat on the upper and lower side of each glass plate. Every morning during the harvest the freshly picked flowers arrive, and after being cleaned of impurities, such as leaves and stalks, are strewn by hand on top of the fat layer of each glass plate. Blossoms wet from dew or rain must never be employed, as any trace of moisture will turn the corps rancid. The chassis are then piled up and left in the cellars for 24 h or longer, depending upon the type of flowers. The latter rest in direct contact with one fat layer (the lower one), which acts as a direct solvent whereas the other fat layer (beneath the glass plate of the chassis above) absorbs only the volatile perfume given off by the flowers.

After 24 h, the flowers have emitted most of their oil and start to wither, developing an objectionable odor. They must then be removed from the corps, which process, despite all efforts to introduce labor-saving devices, is still done by hand. Careful removal of the flower (defleurage) is almost more important than charging the corps on the chassis with fresh flowers (enfleurage) and, therefore, the persons doing this work must be experienced and skilled. Most of the exhausted flowers will fall from the fat layer on the chassis glass plate when the chassis is struck lightly against the working table, but since it is necessary to remove every single flower and every particle of the flower, tweezers are used for this delicate operation. Immediately following defleurage, that is, every 24 h, the chassis are recharged with fresh flowers. For this purpose the chassis are turned over and the fat layer, which in the previous operation formed the top (ceiling) of the small chamber, is now directly charged with flowers. In the case of jasmine, the entire enfleurage process lasts about 70 days: daily the exhausted flowers are removed and the chassis are recharged with fresh ones. At the beginning of, and several times during, the harvest, the fat on the chassis is scratched over with metal combs and tiny furrows are drawn in order change and increase the surface of absorption. At the end of the harvest, the fat is relatively saturated with flower oil and possesses the typical fragrance. The perfumed fat must then be removed from the glass plates between the chassis. For this purpose, it is scraped off with a spatula and then carefully melted and bulked in closed containers. The final product is called pomade (pomade de jasmine, pomade de tuberous, pomade de violet, etc.). The most highly saturated pomade is pomade no. 36, because the corps on the chassis have been treated with fresh flowers 36 times during the whole process of enfleurage. At the beginning of the harvest, every chassis is charged with about 360 g fat corps on each side of the glass plate, in other words, with 720 g per chassis. Every kilogram of fat corps should be in contact with about 2.5 kg (preferably with 3.0 kg) of jasmine flowers for the entire period of enfleurage, which lasts from 8 to 10 weeks. The quantities differ somewhat for different flowers. At the end of enfleurage, the fat corps has lost about 10% of its weight because of the various manipulations. In this process, the long enfleurage time is reduced by the immersion of petals in molten fat heated at 45°-60° C for 1 to 2 h, depending upon the plant species. After each immersion, the fat is filtered and separated from the petals. After 10 to 20 immersions, the fat is separated from waste flowers and water. Absolute of maceration is then produced from fat containing oil through the process of extraction and concentration under reduced pressure. It is mainly used for highly delicate flowers whose physiological activities are lost rapidly after their harvest, such as lily of valley. Modern (Non-traditional) Methods of Extraction of Essential Oils Traditional methods of extraction of essential oils have been discussed and these are the methods most widely used on commercial scale. However, with technological advancement, new techniques have been developed which may not necessarily be widely used for commercial production of essential oils but are considered valuable in certain situations, such as the production of costly essential oils in a natural state without any alteration of their thermosensitive components or the extraction of essential oils for micro-analysis. These techniques are as follows: • Headspace trapping techniques – Static headspace technique – Vacuum headspace technique – Dynamic headspace technique • Solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) • Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) • Phytosol (phytol) extraction • Protoplast technique • Simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) • Microwave distillation • Controlled instantaneous decomposition (CID) • Thermomicrodistillation • Microdistillation • Molecular spinning band distillation • Membrane extraction

Some of these techniques are discussed in other chapters. Here, a few important, relevant references are provided. Conclusions Some of the major constraints in sustainable industrial exploitation of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are due to the fact that the countries of South East Asia have poor agricultural practices for MAPs, unscientific and indiscriminate gathering practices from the wild, poor postharvest and post-gathering practices leading to poor quality raw material, lack of research for the development of high-yielding varieties of MAPs, poor propagation methods, inefficient processing techniques, poor quality control procedures, lack of research on process and product development, difficulty in marketing, non-availability of trained personnel, lack of facilities and tools to fabricate equipment locally, and finally lack of access to the latest technologies and market information. This calls for co-operation and coordination among various institutes and organizations of the region, in order to develop MAPs for sustainable commercial exploitation. The process of extracting MAPs determines how efficiently we add value to MAP bioresources. In the case of essential oils, the extraction process affects the physical as well as internal composition. External appearance, at times, can result in rejection of the batch even if the analytical results are within acceptable limits. Furthermore, essential oils are evaluated internationally for their olfactory properties by experienced perfumers and these olfactory qualities supersede analytical results. Variations in the chemical constituents of the extracts of medicinal plants may result by using non-standardized procedures of extraction. Efforts should be made to produce batches with quality as consistent as possible (within the narrowest possible range).

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