Rosa
Damascena - Anatolian Rose Production
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Anatolian
Rose Otto (Rosa damascena) Distillation in Isparta,
Turkey - Part I by Butch Owen
The information below is the opinion of this writer.
It's not a research project so it contains no references.
I don't have the time to do such a project but when/if
I do have the time, I will include the appropriate
references. In the meantime, folks can accept or reject
this information but if they want to challenge it,
the monkey is on their backs to disprove what I have
written .. ;-p
I
have a fair amount of knowledge of Rose Otto production
in Turkey, I've been an avid student of history for
over 40 years and Turkish history over 20 years, I've
visited the Isparta Rose Fields for the last five
years and closely observed and studied the entire
scope of Rose Otto production. Some of the information
presented here conflicts with rumors concerning Rose
Otto found in some aromatherapy reference books and
with data presented as marketing information by some
essential oil dealers. It's not my intent to be ornary
or disagreeable but rather to tell it like it is -
not like we wish it was.
There is no information contained herein that cannot
be confirmed by those with inquiring minds. If your
idea of research is asking questions to your favorite
EO dealer or reading your favorite EO reference manual,
then you do not have an inquiring mind - you only
have a desire to acquire easily-obtained information
and you might remain in the dark. It is from these
sources that the rumors and misinformation begins
and is perpetuated.
I
will start by saying that Rosa damascena (Damask Rose)
can be found growing wild and/or cultivated in many
places on Earth - but there are only two locations
where growing conditions are such that we can call
them ideal - the Isparta Valley of Turkey and the
Kazanluk Valley of Bulgaria. I have an acquaintance
who experimented with commercial cultivation of Rosa
damascena in Zambia - the results were less than desirable.
Two
years ago, I exported over one metric ton of Rosa
damascena rootstock and cuttings to a USDA project
in Madagascar. The latest information I've received
on that project indicates that even though the recipients
of those rootstocks and cuttings used the correct
procedures in planting and maintaining the plants,
the results are not very favorable and we shouldn't
be looking for commercially produced Rose Otto from
Madagascar - or from anywhere else for that matter.
If you don't have large fields of Roses in an area,
its not smart to build a Rose distillation facility
there.
I'm not going to say that those folks putting out
bad info are trying to deceive us - though some of
them might be if they think it will make their product
look superior to that of other sellers. Most folks
just don't understand the realities of the operation
- they go by what they have read or have been told
and they grasp that portion of the false information
that will support their position when they tell the
stories. I'm happy to tell it like it is whether I
sell another drop of Rose Otto or not - I'm happy
to educate folks on Rose Otto production. I don't
depend on others for information on Rose Otto as I've
been living the reality down where the rubber meets
the road for a long time.
An
example of misinformation: One of the industry publications
recently had a story saying that Rosa damascena doesn't
usually grow above 500 meters .. that is wrong. Isparta
is at 900 plus meters - that's why the Roses grow
so well there. Chris Ziegler recently harvested her
Rosa damascena and made Rose Petal Jam .. she has
it all on a URL on these pages. Chris lives outside
Denver, Colorado. The altitude of Denver is a bit
more than 500 meters - its closer to 1,400 meters.
