History of Bulgarian Rose Otto:
Known as the finest rose oil or "rose otto" in
the world, the Bulgarian Rose Oil has been
distilled for over 340 years from freshly picked
Bulgarian Rosa Damascena (Damask Rose) blossoms.
The exact origin of the damask rose cannot be
traced to any particular time period or
geographic location; however there are fossil
records which show roses have existed for
millions of years. The Damask Rose is the oldest
cultivated European plant in the United States
and has been called the Queen of Flowers all
over the world.
Uses of rose oils date back to the ancient
civilizations of Persia, Asia, Greece, Rome and
Egypt. Rose oil has always been and still is a
symbol of love and beauty. The modern healing
tradition of the extract of rose began in the
17th century with the writings of English
physician Nicholas Culpeper. The herbalist
described the use of red roses to strengthen the
heart, its cooling and astringent actions, and
its effect on headaches and tired eyes.
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Rose-distillery near the city of Kazanlak at the end of
19th century. |
Rose-oil distillation in the beginning of 20th
century. |
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Our Social
Responsibility - Alteya’s Friends and Family:
Since its founding, our company Alteya has been working hard to provide employment and support to the local population in some of the poorest villages in the Rose Valley and the Balkan Mountain regions in Bulgaria. By purchasing our products, you give a chance for economic survival to more than 200 families who are otherwise struggling to provide for themselves and the ones they love. Our employees are our extended family - like us, they love the Roses, The Valley, and our Nature.
Thank you on their behalf. |
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Alteya's friends and family at the end of
a harvest day.
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Proud and happy of her
work.
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The Bulgarian Rose Harvest: |
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The Rosa Damascena bushes
begin to blossom around the third week of May and continue to blossom for three
to four weeks depending upon the seasonal climatic conditions. The yield of the
precious rose oil varies every year as it is dramatically affected by weather
conditions - during very hot and dry weather, harvest may last only two weeks
and the yield oil is lowered due to lower humidity. Conversely, during mild and
humid weather, the rose harvest lasts much longer and the rose oil yield from
the distillation process is substantially higher.
The Bulgarian rose harvesting
season starts as soon as the flowers begin to open and continues until all rose
blossoms have been gathered. The rose blossoms are still hand-picked according
to the 300-year old tradition by nipping each individual blossom just below the
calyx (the green, outer protective cover). Rose picking begins at sunrise when
the oil yield is at its highest, and is completed by late morning while the dew
is still sparkling on the flowers. The collected rose blossoms are initially
placed into baskets, and then transferred to sacks for transportation to the
distillery.
The hand-picked
tradition is the only method for collecting the
rose blossoms.
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The collection
begins at sunrise.
Morning Dew
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The sacks with the
rose blossoms are transported to the distillery as
quickly
as possible where the distillation process
continues during the entire day.
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The blossoms
are transferred to sacks for easy
transportation.
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| The Bulgaria Rose Festival: |
The Rose Valley has also always been the center
stage for the colorful age-old Festival of
Roses. This traditional festival is a symbol of
the rose industry and its influence on the
culture, spirit and lifestyle of the Kazanlak
Region. The Bulgarian Rose Festival is
celebrated with folk songs and dances at
Kazanlak and Karlovo on the first Sunday in
June, at the start of the rose harvest in the
Valley.
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Alteya's rose fileds
are located at the foot of Balkan Montain
near 'Botev
Vrah' peak (7800 ft. high)
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Girls in
traditional Bulgarian costumes during the
Festival.
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The magic of
nature!
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Harvest and Festival
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| The Rose
Distillery: |
The Rose oil
distillation is
one of the
important
processes for
producing the
finest quality
Bulgarian rose
essential oil -
Rose Otto. For
the production
of 1 kilogram of
rose oil are
used between
3000 and 3400
kilograms of
fresh rose
petals. The
fresh rose
petals are
dumped in stills
and then filled
with water. A
method is used
called cohobation,
where the water
is repeatedly
distilled. The
temperature is a key
component during
cohobation
because it
affects the
steam pressure.
The steam heats
the water in a
retort. Then the
water boils and
the steam is
carried to a
condenser. The
circulating cold
water in the
condenser cools
the steam down and
reverts it to liquid. After the
condensation the
water and the
oil enter a
container called
"Florentine
flask"
(Florence flask). The
rose essential
oil floats on top and is separated for
manual
filtration. The
amazing rose oil
has been
distilled.
The left-over
water in the
"Florentine
flask" is
carried to a cohobator for
redistillation.
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The distillation process continues as long as
the roses bloom. |
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