Tea

Infusion is a process used in perfumery to extract the essence of a plant. It is an ancestral method whose principle consists of letting plant matter steep in boiling liquid. It is also a technique well known through tea. Indeed, it is through the principle of infusion that tea allows the preparation of beverages. Moreover, tea is also present in the world of perfumery.

The origins of tea

Several legends intersect regarding the origin of tea. The first tells that it appeared in 2737 BC, when leaves detached from a tree and fell into the hot water of Emperor Chen Nung. Another version says it appeared in the fifth century thanks to the arrival of an Indian monk. He allegedly fell asleep after nine hours of meditation, and his weakness led him to punish himself by cutting off his eyelids. Once fallen to the ground, legend says these gave birth to a plant: tea. In reality, and more theoretically speaking, historians estimate that tea cultivation began in China, in the Sichuan and Yunnan regions. Tea vessels dating back to the Han dynasty, that is, the second century BC, have also been found. Tea then made its way into Japan and the Arab world from the ninth century onward. Trade networks then carried this plant across the entire planet from the third century. In fact, a famous route was called the tea route. This is how tea was introduced into Europe in the sixteenth century.

The different types of tea

Today, there are many different teas distinguished by their color. These can be black, green, yellow, white, oolong or post-fermented. In reality, they are obtained through different processing of the harvested leaves. The main steps in tea production are picking, withering, drying (only for white, green, yellow or oolong tea), oxidation (for black, oolong or yellow teas), rolling, drying, sorting, final firing or roasting (for black or oolong teas).

Tea in perfumery

The first tea note in perfumery was introduced in 1985 by Annick Goutal. It was a smoky tea. Nevertheless, it was popularized by Jean-Claude Ellena, starting in 1992. Coming from an Irish family, it is part of his personal history that he incorporated into several of his perfumes. All sorts of teas then find their way into fragrances, whether green tea, black tea, or jasmine-scented tea. These are obtained through distillation, infusion or reproduction from other essences. They give an aromatic and more or less pronounced odor to the perfumes that contain them. Accordingly, the green tea note is regularly used in perfumery. It creates a fresh sillage. Black tea, for its part, gives a smokier, woodier dimension.