How important may be the scent of the bitter orange flower in the creative imagination and on the compounding palet of the modern perfumer? The fragrance of the rose may be the queen of all odors, but the scent of the bitter orange flower must be the princess of all flower fragrances. In spring the famous bitter orange tree of Seville (introduced by the Arabs in the 11th century) comes into bloom and if you have once smelled the sparkling, youthful, romantic scent of a bitter orange blossom, you will surely never forget it. One can easily understand why young brides wear these flowers at their wedding. In April, we harvest the bitter orange flower for our neroli oil and orange flower water.
Ernest Guenther already stated in 1949 in his well-known encyclopedia on Essential Oils that:
"The bulk of Spanish Neroli Bigarade oil has been produced in Seville by a prominent firm, which enjoys a nationwide reputation for the retail sale of orange flower water."
