Perfume has a magical power over people. It surrounds us, expresses our individuality, awakens memories, and reflects our taste, while making us think of the prestigious names of certain brands. Behind the elegance, every fragrance has a story of its own: planting, cultivating, harvesting, tapping, felling, extracting, and distilling. Undeterred by unpredictable weather, barren soil, and fluctuating economies and political conditions, harvesters toil day and night, providing perfumers with a rich array of layered natural ingredients to inspire their finest creations. As procurement director at the world's largest flavor and fragrance company, author Roque moves constantly between perfumers and harvesters, building a bridge of trust between two sides that need each other but are otherwise completely disconnected. He provides the former with unique, high-quality materials, while securing long-term, stable demand for the latter. He takes us along in his footsteps, offering a close look at the many difficulties and fascinating stories behind perfume before it is bottled, and urging us to cherish the harvesters' time-honored traditional skills and protect nature's gifts, which are not inexhaustible.
I enjoyed the author's firsthand account of the lives of perfumers and the fascinating stories surrounding perfume making. The author not only demonstrates a passion for perfume but also calls for the protection of nature and traditional techniques. In short, this is a wonderful book that both expands your knowledge and sparks your thinking!