Anjouan · Historic town
Mutsamudu
A citadel watching over the harbour, a stepped medina and sultans' palaces: Mutsamudu is one of the finest Swahili towns of the Indian Ocean.
Experience
The perfume route
Ylang-ylang, vanilla, cloves: discover the “perfume islands”, from the plantations to the traditional stills.
On this page 4 sections
Ylang-ylang, the yellow gold of the Comoros
Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) is a tree whose yellow flowers give off a powerful scent, highly prized by the perfume industry. The Comoros, and Anjouan in particular, are among the world's leading producers of its essential oil. The trees are pruned low to make picking easier; it is done by hand, early in the morning.
Visiting a distillery
The flowers are steam-distilled in stills that are often home-made. Distillation takes many hours and the essence is collected in successive fractions, from the finest to the heaviest. Many producers are happy to show their work: ask your host to put you in touch.
Vanilla and cloves
Beneath the trees, vanilla vines are pollinated by hand, flower by flower. The pods are then scalded, sweated and dried in the sun for weeks. The clove tree, for its part, fills the roads with its scent when the cloves are drying on mats in front of the houses.
Bringing back souvenirs
Ylang-ylang essential oil, vanilla pods, cloves, soaps and handmade cosmetics: buy from producers or cooperatives to guarantee quality and a fair income. Check the import rules of the country you are returning to.
Gallery
