The 90’s were marked by the craving of fresh, clean, gender-neutral scents. And so it is not really surprising to find that tea as a note did not make it to perfumery until the early 90’s. My guess is that tea really needs the chemistry that water gives it to open up. It really is not that impressive raw material. It doesn’t give the hit that an essential oil of grapefruit would have, for example. And so is tea absolute (both green and black). And a similar process creates other more rare floral teas such as magnolia oolong or pomelo blossom green tea (the one used in Charisma).Īnd while perfume made its way into tea thousands of years ago, it is strange perhaps that it’s only in the past 15 years or so that the one can hear of the notion of tea within a perfume composition. Thousands of petals of Jasmine Sambac are layered between tea leaves and are replaced by new ones until the green tea achieves its distinct aroma. The process is very similar to enfleurage, only it is tea leaves that soak the fragrance of the flowers, rather than animal fat. For example: rose congou is achieved by layering rose petals among black China tea. Perfumed tea is a term known mostly to true perfume connoisseurs and it’s a very ancient term in tea culture and is the ancient art of perfuming tea with fresh living flowers or plant matter. My friend and tea master Dawna Ehman pointed out to me that these stages are very similar to the top, heart and base notes in perfume. Similarly in tea, there are different stages at which the tea can be enjoyed – the dry leaf or blend, before it has been brewed the aroma of the brewed tea as it rises with steam from the cup, than the way it tastes in one’s mouth, and finally – the aftertaste that is left behind, usually at the back of the palette or the throat. And the pace and exact evolution that occurs on one’s skin makes each perfume a unique, unmatched experience. From the moment it escapes the bottle and lands on one’s skin, it morphs into at least 3 different stages, most commonly known as head notes, heart notes and base notes. It takes time to make a good perfume, not to mention the planning that goes into it on behalf of the perfumer who designs it (and the same goes for the ancient wisdom that evolved into the sophisticated tea cultures we can see today).īut more than that, perfume also changes over time. Perfume also requires time for preparing the raw materials (growing, harvesting, and distillation or extraction) and than there maturation – the magic that happens in the beaker when all the molecules connect and mingle and marry. Time is of essence in every aspect of tea: The art of growing, harvesting and processing the tea (i.e.: fermentation, oxidation, roasting, etc.) and than of course the preparation for brewing a cup of tea – waiting for the water to reach the ideal temperature, steeping the tea, and finally, sipping it in perfect harmony with the leaf, oneself and the company involved. Mariage Frères, purveyors of Tea, originally uploaded by maralina!.Īlthough tea and perfume both have a deep connection in the history of mankind through medicine, rituals and the magical species in the plant kingdom, it was not until recently that tea made its way as a note into perfumery.īoth tea and perfume are art forms and ancient rituals that take place in time: the many aspects of tea take place in time.
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