African Natural Health Products

What Are Attars?

Posted by Health Africa on February 10, 2008.

In the arabic speaking countries of North Africa there is a long history of producing natural fragrance oils called attars. These can be single oils or more usually blends of oils extracted using traditional techniques of steam distillation or enfleurage.

In traditional steam distillation large copper stills are used, called degs. These stills are heated from below with a direct fire ignited from wood of dung. These stills have a capacity from 22 to 352 pounds of floral material. The lid of the still is made of copper with fittings for connections to receivers which ultimately hold the extracted oils. The top of the still is filled with plant substance (flowers, petals, leaves, etc.), water is added, and the lid is sealed with a mixture of cotton and clay.

The heating of the still underneath causes a great pressure to build inside the still. The receiver is constructed of copper, round in shape, with a long neck. The still and receiver are joined by a hollow bamboo pipe wrapped with thin rope for insulation, and pushed inside the condenser. The temperature and speed of distillation is controlled by adjusting the fire below the still.

The attendants of the still are called dighaas. They must use extraordinary skill to maintain the precise temperature for best results with each type of attar. The dighaas feel the outside of the containers, and carefully listen for and evaluate sounds within the still. When the desired quantity of vapors have condensed, the dighaa wraps a wet cloth around the still, which temporarily halts the distillation process.

The receiver is then replaced with a second receiver containing fresh plant material. For the highest grades of attars, this process may be repeated three or more times. The receiver is then allowed to cool and sit. The steam cools, and condenses back into water. The oil floats on top, is then drawn off, filtered and bottled for sale. There are grades (first, second, third, etc.) of these types of attars, depending upon the mount of substance used in the distillation process.

In enfleurage a long stone trough is employed, into which a quantity of base or collecting oil is placed. Then a quantity of the floral substance is placed inside a cheesecloth and rolled up. This is then submerged in the trough containing the base oil. After a time, usually a day, the attar oils contained within the floral substance mingle with the base oil. This cheesecloth is removed after the first day, and replaced with fresh florals.

This procedure is repeated up to thirty or forty times, after which the base oil has become saturated with the desired fragrance. A low grade of sandalwood and olive oils are commonly used as base oils, because they do not easily turn rancid; and, in the case of sandalwood, its own fragrance easily is displaced by other scents.

The oils produced by either of these methods are then blended to centuries old recipes considered to have profound beneficial effects for our mental emotional state.