Plants cultivated in the Struma Valley, at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, yield the inimitably treasured Bulgarian damask rose otto, notable for its scented symphony of finely cleaved nuances, many fleeting, and the exalting bouquet with its persistent sensuous sublayer summoning a sense of civet or some such suggestion, buoying an expansive and deep-honeyed heart, girded somehow harmoniously by a delicate effervescence, an exterior of pineapple and pepper notes, an enhancement of wet straw and wine tones, the whole perfume attributable to over two thousand (arguably) distinct molecular components (many unidentified), which often combine with ensembles of other fragrant compounds to become agents in unique contexts elsewhere in Nature.
“Such a rich vital pageant, how did it happen? and who could have imagined? the door to deep mystery as so wide open?”
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But the cagey counterfeiters of modern perfumery consistently ignore the scope and nature of this involvement of metabolic messaging, willfully miss the point of the real-Life intricacy, pay little attention to why such chemical communiqués and elicitative bulletins are patched together as they are, and discount the situational manner by which this manifold currency is traded and distributed throughout the Natural World.
“They who are sensually stoic, who tune out the way that aroma principles are transmitted in concert, they who are phytophobic, are deaf to the aspect in which plant perfumes are symphonic, in a way that’s different from chords of music.”
Chemical communication lends itself to composite dispatches. And complicated combinatorial messages are complicated further by complex synergistic effects involving beholders. So we’ve not a chance to conceive of all the combinations of indications including our reactions to the cues and signs in Nature. An audit would be unmanageable, even unimaginable.
“A zebra combines gestures to express emotion: hostility by flattening back ears, friendliness by pointing them upward, the intensity of either posture measured by … the degree to which the mouth is open? So when these striped horses feel frisky, their mouths spring gaping wide, a straightforward if not obvious behavioral deployment?”
We gather (from biology literature) that the total chorus of signals that may potentially be conveyed by a composite message is the power set of components, which equals the sum of all possible combinations of subsets.
“Much as that mathematical equation is merely theoretical, it still calls for us to bear in mind, as a frame of reference.”
I find the calculation to be adequately intimidating given that most vapors emitted from plants are composed of dozens, often hundreds of discrete chemical petitions, each elaborate transmission comprising numerous metabolic factors to advance whichever mission.
“Rev up your odor decoders, as now we arrive at the moment of Earthly truth.”
Samples are presently circulating of rose extracts, for us to register likenesses and contrasts, differentiate between fragrant agents, spot scentful spotlights, and make out the evaporative evolution of traces as revealed from the launching pads of designated cardboard strips:
“You’ll notice, upon initial imbuing, early flourishes may appear fresh (limonene?) and fatty (nononal?) with a seeming bolus of bois de rose (linalol?), then a tide of dried rose petals (phenyl ethyl alcohol?) that also brings waves of geranium (cis rose oxide?) grass (nerol oxide?) and bitter orange peel (trans rose oxide?), later a development of woodiness (terpinene-4-ol?) waxiness (decanal?) and a splashing arrival of florality (citronellol? strong), then shades of sour lemons (geranial?) neroli (nerol?) and cloves (eugenol?) succeeded by references to plums (trans damascenone?) tea (methyl eugenol?) and redolent roses (geraniol?), next may be accents of apple pie (beta-damascenone?) and blackcurrant (beta-damascone?), a sprinkling of spices (beta-caryophyllene?) a spray of muguet (farnesol?) and a subliminal yet decided presence of pineapple (ethyl hexonate?) — everyone following along? hang on, we’ve several hundred more principles to identify.”
Among aromatic plants, hundreds of familiar molecules are regularly shuffled about here and there, in endless series of metabolic lineups. With each integrated volatile expression, each novel configuration, each one-of-a-kind jumble of juxtapositions, individual constituents renounce their independent identities in favor of a new collective, voices of singular atomic bonds sing in polyphonous unison to create new matchless messages of Creation.
“The proliferation of composite communications of multifold meaning.”
And rose perfumes of commerce (where to begin)? — the fetishistic affair of Sophia Grojsman with suffocating synthetic ionones is exhibited vividly by her archetypal rose violation Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, the woody rose violation Une Rose by Frédéric Malle is a cynical rendition connoting cat pee formulated in the lab, the suitcase-heavy rose violation Joy by Jean Patou debases the idea of organic luxury, the choking powdery rose violation Lipstick Rose by Frédéric Malle aspiringly mimics fumes of cheap toiletries, the insecticidal rose violation Nahéma by Guerlain is claimed (boastfully) to be devoid of any trace of a substance harvested from genuine rose blossoms, the caustic fizzy rose violation Quel Amour! by Annick Goutal poses as a gas-station air freshener, the artificial peppery rose violation Parfum Sacré and the toothache-sweet rose violation French Cancan both by Caron … well, we can continue on, all day.
“The noxious aldehydic rose violation Chanel №5 was fabricated by Ernest Beaux, who has never been challenged to face his victims.”
The idea of femininity expressed by the terpenic rose violation Rosa Flamenca by Les Parfums de Rosine, it’s the type that might likewise be related by a sex doll. And that of the gourmand rose violation Ombre Rose by Charles Brosseau, related by a date rape drug.
“Lastly, as our endeavor to provide a measure of pleasure, we’re serving a blended libation crafted of Elisir di Rose, an uncommon cordial made from Italian gallic roses, with a chilled Moscato d’Asti from northwest Italy. You’ll observe how fine bubbles escaping from the effervescing white wine provide lift to the rosaceous elements, propagating a balanced airborne headspace bouquet that evokes the sensation of an ambient perfume beheld by standing midway between a rose garden and a fruit orchard.”
Insofar as these herbal cocktails tend to relax the tongue, please remember that this isn’t a social event.