VIOLET LEAF EGYPT ABS

Today, the violet is found in the Maritime Alps and in the Piedmont in Italy, and in Egypt the valley of the Nile.

dsm-firmenich mainly sources Violet leaf from France and Egypt. Egypt alone produces approximately 90% of the violet leaf distributed around the world. The yield of Violet is 1400 kg of flower for one kg of Cte, and 1 kg of Cte makes 650 gr of absolute.
The violet trees bloom the same year as their plantation. The flowering is early from January to April. In France the harvest is done on three cuts: April/May, June/July and September. In September, it is more abundant in Egypt. Only the leaves are harvested for perfumery. The smell of the leaf is green, slightly woody sometimes peppery. Among the 450 species listed in the world, only twenty or so remain in temperate countries, such as Viola odorota, a member of the violacea family, used in perfumery. The leaves are very broad in the shape of a heart and the flowers are mauve.

Egypt

Created in 1963, dsm-firmenich's partner Machalico has been supplying dsm-firmenich for many years. They cultivate Jasmine, Violet Leaves, Geranium, and Cassie. Machalico is one of three major producers of Jasmine and Violet leaves in Egypt. This supplier has developed an intercropping model with date tree and corn as they provide perfect shadows for violet growth. Leaves are collected by dsm-firmenich partner and extracted at their factory. Before being processed they are stored for 24 hours, as leaves need to macerate to fully develop their olfactive characteristics. In recognition for its remarkable involvement with communities, Machalico received dsm-firmenich’s Source & Soul award in 2016.