El buscador de esencias : Un viaje al origen de los perfumes del mundo

Expert traveler Dominique Roques reveals the origins and history of perfume making, from the harvesting of incense in antiquity to the modern industry. Perfumes are fascinating: familiar yet mysterious, they envelop us, stir memories, and evoke refinement. This book is a journey through the vast world of natural essences—the magical and essential component of perfumes—whose history stretches back to the dawn of civilization and whose role has been key in shaping the world. They are the result of the convergence of territories, landscapes, soils, and climates; the product of the crafts and customs of both established and transient populations. For thirty years, Roques has traveled the globe in search of extracts from flowers, seeds, resins, and woods—fruits of the earth with exceptional aromas that are combined into countless olfactory formulas. With rigor, humanity, and poetry, he introduces us to men and women with time-honored knowledge, heirs to trades spanning at least thirty centuries: flower gatherers in Bulgaria or India, rubber tappers in Andalusia, balsam workers in El Salvador or Laos, patchouli or lavender growers, sandalwood planters, bergamot distillers. He also alerts us to the threats looming over these activities, whether for political or economic reasons, or due to the progressive devastation of ecosystems.