Neroli Neroli (Egypt)

Why Egypt?

The bitter orange tree is native to East Asia, but it’s been grown in Egypt since its introduction there in the tenth century. Our sourcing partner’s family began cultivating neroli decades ago and has continued passing their knowledge and skills on to the next generations. They’ve expanded their business to other local farmers by sharing their perfected neroli cuttings, slowly growing their reliable and ethical network to the size it is now.

The Harvesting and Distillation Process

The bitter orange tree is a resilient evergreen. At least three essential oils come from the bitter orange tree: Orange from the peel, Petitgrain from the twigs and leaves, and Neroli from the flower or blossom. Neroli blossoms are carefully handpicked in the spring. After harvesting, the flowers are dried for one day before being steam-distilled to ensure the highest quality and quantity of essential oil.

Empowering People: Generating and Sustaining Jobs

The majority of Neroli essential oil is sourced from the province of Gharbeya, 11 miles north of Tanta (the capital). Because harvesting neroli is a delicate, time-consuming process, it requires a large labor force. Neroli production provides employment for hundreds of women in the community. Our sourcing partner ensures fair and on-time payments and guaranteed pricing, bringing economic activity to the area.

Bitter orange blossoms are also a major source of nectar for bees. Our sourcing partner runs the only organic apiculture (beekeeping) project in Egypt.