Dried fig

Ancient civilizations prized figs for both food and fragrance. Egyptian scribes recorded fig extracts in perfume formulas as early as 1500 BCE, using them to scent temple offerings. Greek poets praised the fruit’s scent, and Roman traders exported fig‑based attars across the Mediterranean. By the 9th century, Persian alchemists refined distillation techniques that captured fig aromatics in alcohol, expanding their use in courtly perfumes. The Ottoman Empire documented fig oil in trade ledgers, noting shipments from Anatolia to European markets. In the 19th century, French perfumers began blending synthetic fig molecules with natural oil to meet growing demand, a practice that persists today. The ingredient’s journey from orchard to bottle mirrors the broader evolution of natural fragrance sourcing.