Iris (Florentine/Tuscany)

Though native to the Far East, iris is predominately grown in Italy and Morocco today. Absolute iris comes from a volatile solvent extraction of crushed roots. This process starts after three years of growth, when the roots are peeled, washed and dried in the sun or an oven at a moderate temperature, while the rhizomes are processed all year, dried in an oven at 40-degrees for two years. They take on a violet scent thanks to ketones called irones. In the next step, they are crushed and steam-distilled to create iris butter, sometimes also referred to as concrete. With such a lengthy, complicated extraction process and low-yield, the high prices are understandable, with the Iris Padilla variety fetching more than 100,000 euros-per-kilogram! The yield of crushed rhizomes accounts for 0.2-0.4%. Absolute is created when the fatty acids are eliminated through the purification process.