Orange Flower Absolute

#### Orange Flower Absolute. From petroleum ether extracted concrète of bitter orange flowers (see **Orange Flower**** ****Concrète**), an absolute is produced by alcohol extraction. This process is carried out mainly in France, but many large-scale consumers of orange flower absolute will prefer to produce their own absolute from imported concrète. The latter must be produced very near the plantation of bitter orange trees. **Orange**** ****Flower**** ****Absolute**** **is a dark brown or dark orange colored, somewhat viscous liquid with a very intensely floral, heavy and rich, warm, but also delicate and fresh, long-lasting odor, closely resembling the odor of fresh bitter-orange blossoms. Although this absolute certainly has notes in common with jasmin absolute, it has a much more versatile application as a floral "fond" when used at a comparatively low concentration. It shows a pleasant, but peculiar and characteristic, sweet-herbaceous undertone, not unlike the one found in jasmin. Orange flower absolute is only slightly cheaper than jasmin absolute, and it may not always impart the same floral strength as jasmin at a similar concentration. But its great advantage is in its freshness which is quite surprising considering that it is an extract with great tenacity. Neroli oil will produce a beautiful "pair" with orange flower absolute. The two products represent altogether different parts of the orange flower fragrance gamut (see also **Orange Flower**** ****Water**** ****Absolute**). **Orange**** ****Flower**** ****Absolute**** **is used in countless types of perfumes, heavy Oriental as well as light citrus colognes, chypres and ambres as well as floral bouquets, modern aldehydic fantasy blends, etc. The absolute forms excellent combinations with all citrus oils, petitgrain oils, linalool, linalyl acetate, linalyl cinnamate, methyl anthranilate, various jasmones, myrrh resinoid, etc. It naturally forms an important part of the fixative base in high-class citrus colognes and perfumes of similar type. Orange flower absolute is used in flavors as a very universal "bouquet" material with delightful effects in many types of fruit flavor and even in peppermint or spearmint flavor. It generally masks or rounds off the sharp notes arising from synthetic flavor materials. Often mere traces are necessary to obtain the "bouquetting" effect. The average use level should then be kept just above the **Minimum**** ****Perceptible**, which is 0.005 mg% to about 0.020 mg%. These figures apply to the straight material in sugar water, and will only give a very approximate idea of the use level in combination flavors. An indication can be given through the fact that orange flower absolute usually exerts its bouquetting effect at the level of 0.03% to 0.10% of the main flavor ingredient. Obviously, there is no economical problem in using orange flower absolute in flavors. The annual world production of orange flower absolute is about 2 metric tons. Adulteration occurs mainly in form of "sophistication", e.g. with the materials mentioned above, or with traces of indole, benzyl cyanide, phenylethyl phenylacetate, orange flower water absolute, beta methyl naphthyl ketone, isojasmone, etc. or various materials which have been identified in the absolute as normal constituents. e.g. linalool, nerol, nerolidol, etc., or with terpeneless petitgrain oil, etc.