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Wednesday, 08-08-2012 13:07

Fragrance Notes: Kannauj, India, the “Grasse of the East”

News related:

From CNN today comes this great story and slideshow about Kannauj, India. Not familiar with Kannauj? It's home base for the production of attar super-concentrated essential oils generally made from sandalwood or rose. Attar is a word you're going to be hearing more about in the perfume world, as it's becoming very popular in niche perfumery (think of it as the new oud), even as its production is becoming scarcer and costlier. According to CNN, 10 milliliters of rose attar, which is little more than two teaspoons, costs as much as .

Unlike the state-of-the-art labs of Grasse, France (fragrance capital of Planet Earth), the labs of Kannauj, located 217 miles southeast of New Delhi, use the same method that have been used for centuries: distillation by wood-burning stove. And like many artisanal trades, this one is also being replaced by chemical-based distillation methods, which are cheaper and easier. In fact, there is only one remaining sandalwood distillery left in the area, and there once were 21. So if you're a fragrance junkie, a visit to Kannauj should probably be near the top of your list before it disappears altogether. Or seek out some attars on your own; both Amouage and Keiko Mecheri make great ones.