Sourcing Story
There are over 100 species of rose . dōTERRA Rose oil comes from Rosa damascena , commonly known as the Damask rose .
To collect the oil as efficiently as possible and ensure farmers are paid fairly and on time , dōTERRA recently built a rose distillery in Kazanlak , named Terra Roza , as part of the dōTERRA Esseterre Bulgaria operation ( headquartered in Dobrich ). This facility began operations in May , just in time for the 2020 rose harvest .
“ Bulgaria has such a rich history of producing beautiful rose oil from the Damask rose . It ’ s a great privilege to now have another dōTERRA-owned and operated Esseterre distillery working with small farmers and producing the crown jewel of Bulgarian essential oils ,” says Tim Valentiner , vice president of global strategic sourcing at dōTERRA . Rose is truly the queen of oils , and it is only fitting that this exquisite flower now has its own dōTERRA distillery in the heart of the world ’ s rose capital .
The Rose Festival
Perhaps nothing expresses the region ’ s deep love for roses more than the annual Rose Festival . Held since 1903 , the festival begins on the first Sunday in June . More than 150,000 visitors arrive to learn about the valley ’ s rich history and traditions and join in with rosepicking and other fun activities .
Two of the most exciting events of the festival are the Rose Coronation and Rose Festival Parade . Each year , a Rose Queen is chosen from the community , who presides at many of the festivities .
The culmination of the entire rose harvest season is the parade held in Kazanlak . The parade is the largest in Bulgaria with 3,000 participants and features traditional dance , music , and arts . Swathes and garlands of roses cover the town , and young children pass flowers to the crowd as performers in traditional dress dance and sing .
When the last of the parade passes by and revellers turn toward home , they will walk on streets carpeted in rose petals and blossoms .
EUROPE LIVING MAGAZINE
The Next Harvest
As the sun sets over the rose fields in June , its last rays illuminate miles upon miles of tidy rose bushes . The bushes are now bare — all the blossoms have been distilled into pure rose oil . Working together , the farmers , harvesters , and distillers in the Valley of the Roses have created roughly two metric tons of pure Rose oil within just a matter of weeks .
Soon it will be time to prune the rose bushes and begin cultivating another crop of the finest quality roses in the world . It has been this way for 340 years , and if the people living in the valley have anything to say about it , it will be this way for centuries to come .
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