Discover the town behind the world's most famous perfume
Summary
Grasse, a medieval town in France, became the world’s perfume capital starting in the 15th century by growing flowers used in famous scents like Chanel No. 5. Today, Grasse is working to revive its flower fields, especially jasmine and rose, which are key ingredients in making high-quality perfumes.Key Facts
- Grasse originally had a strong smell of dead animals due to its leather trade in the 15th century.
- Gloves scented with local flowers were created to mask the bad smell, leading to a flower-growing industry.
- Coco Chanel visited Grasse in 1921 to find ingredients for her famous perfume, Chanel No. 5.
- Chanel No. 5 uses about twelve May Roses and one thousand jasmine flowers per bottle.
- Olivier Polge, Chanel’s master perfumer, sources flowers and creates fragrances in Grasse.
- Grasse’s flower fields have greatly shrunk, from 12,000 acres in the early 1900s to 124 acres today.
- Most jasmine used for Chanel No. 5 now comes from a single family farm in Grasse.
- Flowers grown in Grasse have unique scents different from those grown in countries like India or Egypt.
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