Grasse is the centre of the French perfume industry. The factories themselves are not open to tourists - the secrets of each company are jealously guarded. However, it is possible to gain some idea of the processes involved by visiting one of the perfumeries having a retail department in which demonstration apparatus has been installed.
Three main processes are involved - distillation - enfleurage and extraction. Distillation involves bringing water and flowers to boiling point in a still. The vapour is then condensed and collected. Enfleurage takes advantage of the fact that fatty materials become impregnated with the scent of flowers. The flowers are laid on a mixture of pork and beef fat. At the end of the season the fats are beaten with