From the third year after planting, a field of R. x damascena yields approximately 1.5 tonnes of flowers per hectare. In subsequent years, and for about thirty years, this can increase to up to 5 tonnes of rose flowers per hectare.

The rose blossoms are picked by hand, one by one. More precisely, they are harvested between 5 and 9 a.m., as this is when their fragrance concentration is at its peak. Therefore, the blossoms must be distilled quickly.

The second most common extraction technique is solvent extraction. This technique involves washing the flowers three times with a solvent. At the end of the extraction, the solvent is removed by evaporation under vacuum. This technique takes 5 hours and yields rose concrete, a semi-solid product concentrated in fragrance, pigments, and waxes. It is then necessary to treat this concrete with warm alcohol to remove the pigments and waxes. The alcohol is cooled to between 0 and 10°C and then filtered. Evaporated under vacuum, the alcohol produces a product highly concentrated in fragrant molecules (rose absolute). Approximately 400 kg of roses are needed to obtain 1 kg of concrete and 0.5 kg of absolute.

To date, these two techniques coexist. Indeed, they allow for the production of products with different characteristics.

Since antiquity, the rose has been used for its fragrance. Before distillation, perfumed oils were obtained through enfleurage and maceration processes. The fall of Rome in the 5th century led to a decline in the use of rose perfume in Western Europe. However, the Crusaders revived its use in Europe. It was at the end of the 16th century that the distillation of rose flowers began to produce rose essential oil. To date, global production of rose essential oil and rose concrete is estimated at approximately 15 tons. Bulgaria and Turkey are the two main producers (with 80% market share).

The Damask rose (Rosa x damascena Mill.) is the species most commonly used to produce the fragrant essential oil. The rose flower has approximately 30 petals. It is a very fragrant flower.

The rose originated in the Middle East. More specifically, cultivation and extraction techniques were imported from Anatolia in the 16th century.

At the end of the 17th century, essential oil production was established in the Kazanlik region of Bulgaria. This is why the cultivar that produces the finest rose essential oils is named R. x damascena 'Kazanlik'. The plain where this cultivar grows is known as the "Valley of Roses".