Orange blossom Morocco

The bitter orange tree, or Seville orange tree, Citrus aurantium ssp. amara L., is a small tree that grows four to seven meters in height. It is native to East Asia and belongs to the Rutaceae family, along with the bergamot and lemon trees. It was introduced to Europe by Arab merchants during the 10th-century crusades. This tree enjoys temperate, warm, dry climates, which is why it thrives in the Mediterranean basin, where it is widely cultivated for its fragrant white blossoms. These flowers gather in the axils of the leaves and contain small glands that contain the sweet floral fragrance characteristic of the orange blossom.

They are harvested early in the flowering period, in April, in the morning after the dew, when the odors are most potent. Orange blossoms are very fragile and require very delicate handling. They also must be processed quickly to prevent oxidization from the sun’s rays. Hydrodistillation of these flowers produces neroli essential oil and orange-blossom floral water. The orange-blossom floral water absolute is obtained through solvent extraction of the floral water that was obtained through hydrodistillation. Floral water absolute has characteristic warm, animal notes that are more pronounced than those of the essential oil and the orange-blossom absolute, with powerful floral and fruity notes. The bitter orange tree is also prized for its young twigs, from which petitgrain essential oil is extracted through hydrodistillation. Furthermore, bitter oranges can be cold-pressed to produce bitter-orange essential oil.