Buchu Oil South Africa Organic
Buchu oil has a strong and intense herbaceous and minty note, with camphor and fruity facets. It is also reminiscent of blackcurrant notes due to the presence of sulphurous terpenoids.
Buchu is an excellent modifier of blackcurrant, raspberry, grapefruit, mango and other ‘sour-fruity’ profiles. This ingredient is used with aromatic woody accords or in liquorice reconstitutions.
Buchu is a heather-like shrub with an inflorescence of star-shaped flowers that can be white, pink or purple. The rounded, evergreen, aromatic leaves are the morphological feature that has led to the plant being called ‘round-leaved buchu’ or ‘short buchu’. These leaves have many pockets that secrete the essential oil. Buchu grows in south-western South Africa where it is an ecologically important plant. It is part of the vegetation of the fynbos, a biome in South Africa known for its exceptional biodiversity.
To meet the growing demand for buchu oil, the harvest of wild buchu has been largely supplemented by cultivated buchu over the past 20 years. Buchu is mainly harvested by hand between November and April, avoiding the flowering period to allow the seeds to form and mature. The leaves are processed quickly after harvest to maximise oil yield.
In the late 19th century, buchu leaves were dried, baled and exported to Europe and America. Several bales of buchu were on the cargo list of the Titanic on its final voyage.
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