Until about 1965 Bulgaria was known to international perfumery circles for its top quality rose oil and by the famous oil of Mentha piperita, type Bulgaro-Mitcham.
The post World War II technical modernization and organization of the economy have influenced in various ways the traditional Bulgarian cultivating of aromatic plants and their processing to products for the perfumery. For instance, in spite of the high production costs and the severe competition on the part of some other farm products (such as maize, corn, grapes, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables), Bulgaria succeeded in preserving unchanged one of its national symbols, the Bulgarian Rose Oil. It has been preserved thanks to age-old traditions, to strict observation of the technology, persistent and careful quality control, the Government’s concern and the extremely high international praise for the oil.
On the other hand the production of the peppermint oil Bulgaro-Mitcham type was negatively affected. The annual production of 220 t for 1957 has been reduced to 8 t at present; at the same time its future is not clear due to the obvious economical disadvantage of its production. Instead of peppermint oil, the Bulgarian lavender oil took the first place in amount of produced quantities.
