The sweet vernal grass, called flouve odorante in France, is cultivated in the Landes region in south-western France. Farmers dedicate their fields exclusively to the cultivation of this plant species. The south-west of France has ideal climatic conditions that promote the growth of the plants and the development of their complex ingredients and flavours, such as coumarin and benzoic acid. The above-ground parts of the grass are harvested periodically between May and September, cut and air-dried for several days before being pressed into bales. Flouve is produced by gently extracting the fragrances. The end product is called Absolue*.
*An absolute is made from flowers and parts of plants that are too delicate and whose aromas would be destroyed by steam distillation. In this multi-stage gentle extraction process, without the use of heat, the valuable flavours are extracted with volatile solvents and ethanol. This type of processing leads to an almost complete extraction of the valuable fragrances of the plants and to an essential extract whose aroma comes closest to that of the plant from which it originates. An absolute is the most concentrated form of fragrance and is highly regarded in natural perfumery.
