Deep, thick and long, Vetiver roots are the second raw material in our Nomad Box, a precious box that holds the jewels of perfumery and reveals the most fascinating ingredients in our perfumers’ palette.
The first jewel that we discovered was Shamama, a very special and mysterious Indian elixir. Now it is Vetiver, and more specifically, its roots, that we’ll be using in perfumery.
Did you know…? Vetiver is a noble material that originates from India, although it is also cultivated in Haiti and Java. According to our Senior Perfumer Belén García, creator of the vibrant ‘Vetiver Roots’ accord: “It is one of the most beautiful and traditional woody notes in a perfumer’s palette”.
Why is Vetiver special?
“The beauty of this raw material lies in the fact that it is a green plant with aerial stems, but the most mysterious thing is that its olfactory richness is hidden,” explains Belén. “It takes a great deal of effort to obtain this treasure, you have to dig three to four meters to get to it”.
The nomadic journey to Vetiver roots
To find Javanese Vetiver, which is the smokier variety, we traveled to the heart of Java, in the Garut area, land of volcanoes, in Indonesia. In fact, this timeless ingredient has a smoky facet precisely because it grows in volcanic soil.
Our perfumer promises that Vetiver is very versatile and full of contradictions. “Vetiver is fresh and dark, hot and cold, wet and dry, noble and raw, with true sensuality and a particular vibration,” assures Belén.
“The roots are cut and then washed and dried in the sun. Finally, they are distilled with steam to obtain Vetiver essence. What’s more, nothing is wasted in this process, as the aerial steams are used to build roofs in the villages,” explains our perfumer.
The roots contain a resin that is processed to obtain Vetiver essential oil. The manual work involved in the process is fascinating. That’s why Vetiver is part of our Nomad Box.
Nomad Saga, Eurofragance’s nomadic spirit
At Eurofragance, we travel the world in search of the highest quality ingredients and the most extraordinary raw materials. That’s how Nomad Saga was born, a project that reflects our nomadic spirit and our adventures in this unique search.
Discover more about the world surrounding Vetiver roots on our Nomad Saga website. Follow our nomad’s adventures on our social media. Every quarter we will reveal a new raw material, and delve into its history and tradition. Don’t miss out!
