This modest tree is the source of more than twelve fragrances or flavor-related by-products. Originally, from the Southeast Asia, the Bitter Orange Tree was discovered by the Arabs who propagated it since the 8th century in the Middle East. Europeans found this citrus tree there during the Crusades and then brought it to southern Europe and north Africa, where favored by warm climate, the tree prospered. Europeans later propagated the Bitter Orange Tree into their far destinations such as the island of Madagascar. Today, you the can find it from the Mediterranean periphery to the Comoro Islands, in Florida, as well as Venezuela and Paraguay.

One of the most interesting and intriguing characteristics of this plant, also called the Seville orange tree, is the high presence of oil-bearing cells in each of its elements. Initially, the oil was extracted from the flower and the rind by distillation. With time, new methods of extraction and treatment were developed. New doors were opened, allowing the full usage of the plant as well as the creation of new products and deeper, richer oils.

By the end of the 16th century, Anne Marie Orsini, duchess of Bracciano and princess of Nerola, introduced the essence of bitter orange tree as a fashionable fragrance by using it to perfume her gloves and her bath. Since then, the name of Neroli has been used to describe this essence.Neroli has a refreshing and distinctive, spicy, aroma with sweet and flowery notes. It is one of the most widely used floral oils in perfumery. It is a non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing, non-photo toxic substance. More than 12% of all modern quality perfumes use Neroli as their principal ingredient. It blends perfectly with any citrus oil, various floral absolutes, and most of the synthetic components available on the market. Neroli Oil is a classic element in fragrance design and one of the most commonly used in the industry. It is also used in flavors (alimentary,) where it has a limited use.

However, it is commonly used to enhance or consolidate other flavors or to create new ones. Neroli Oil is obtained by steam distillation of the flowers. The flowers are collected once a year, in mid-April. The harvest lasts two to three weeks, and the quality of the crop is extremely weather-sensitive. It is particularly wind-sensitive during the blooming and harvesting season. Additionally, the flowers are fragile and suffer under poor transportation or storage conditions before the distillation. They usually must be distilled immediately after being picked in order to avoid decay or resulting unpleasant off-notes

. The yield of Neroli Oil, once distilled, ranges between 0.8% and 1.1% of the corresponding raw material. Its price per kilogram is about $2,150.00. Although produced in many countries, Tunisia and Morocco are the most important producers. The total annual production of Neroli Oil in Morocco is about 700 kilograms and 600 kilograms for Tunisia, which also represent some 130 tons of flowers as well as sales in excess of $2.8 million.