Perfumes

The word perfume traces to the Latin per (through) and fumus (smoke), recalling the old ritual of burning scented woods at religious ceremonies; in less hygienic eras, essential oils also served the practical purpose of masking unpleasant odours and acting as mild antiseptics. Modern perfumes are manufactured from volatile, aromatic essential oils that can be found in almost any plant part — leaves (curry leaf, mint), flowers (rose, jasmine), fruits (citrus, strawberry) and wood (sandal, eucalyptus). Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum, family Oleaceae), a native of the north-western Himalayas ranking just behind rose oil as a floral perfume, is grown commercially in Tamil Nadu chiefly around Madurai and Thovalai in Kanyakumari district; its essential oil sits in the epidermal cells of both surfaces of the sepals and petals, and a tonne of jasmine blossom yields only about 2.5 to 3 kg of oil (0.25-3% of the fresh flower's weight) — used historically in worship and ceremony, and today across perfumery, cosmetics, air fresheners, antiperspirants, talcum powders, shampoos and deodorants; Madurai Malli, in particular, carries a Geographical Indication tag for its thick, long-stalked petals and its distinct fragrance from jasmine and alpha-terpineol compounds. Rose (Rosa x damascena, family Rosaceae), native to the Middle East and grown across Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, yields one of the oldest and most expensive perfume oils, concentrated in the inner epidermal cells of the petals, at an average yield of under 0.5 g of oil per kilogram of flowers; besides perfumery and soap-scenting, rose water (panneer) — rich in phenylethyl alcohol — flavours confectionery and soft drinks, soothes the eyes as an eye-wash, and is ceremonially sprinkled on guests as a welcome. Sandalwood (Santalum album, family Santalaceae), native to South East Asia and found as large natural populations in Karnataka and Tamil Na …