A traditional fragrance has found new popularity in Turkey since the start of the COVID-19 health crisis.
Kolonya, a Turkish cologne that smells strongly of lemon or lavender, is an ethanol-based concoction that’s been used for more than 200 years. It’s high alcohol content can kill more than 80% of germs, so it acts as an effective hand sanitizer.
Although kolonya was ubiquitous in Turkey before the pandemic and could be found in shops, restaurants and hair salons, the culture of its application is not as popular among young people.
But when Türkiye’s fitness minister announced its use at the height of the pandemic in mid-March, sales outlets began to sell out. People queued for hours to get this staple food.
“When someone knocks on the door, the first thing you do after sitting down is offer them kolonya,” said Engin Tuncer, CEO of Eyüp Sabri Tuncer, a well-known kolonya producer. “It is the task of the smallest child in any home. ” : ‘Come, give your uncles and aunts a pinch of kolonya. ‘”
The smell of kolonya is often described as Turkey’s national scent. The sweet-scented aromas are made with fig blossoms, jasmine, rose, and all kinds of citrus ingredients.
Eyüp Sabri Tuncer has been mixing water, alcohol and herbs to make its recipe for many decades.
But long before vats upon vats of alcohol were being mixed to meet pandemic demand, traditional cologne took off during the Ottoman Empire. It was imported from Germany in the 19th century.
Sultan Abdülhamid II used it and adapted it by mixing the cultivation of rose water with the novelty of foreign alcohol-based perfumes to create kolonya.
The Turks began to use it basically as an air freshener and perfume. In 1923, Eyüp Sabri Tuncer generated kolonya in a small shop in Ankara. Customers won loose bottle samples.
When the company figured out how to make it more affordable, it became a family product. It can cost as little as 10 Turkish lira, or about $1 per bottle.
“Kolonya is very vital to Turkish culture and it is exclusive to our culture. And it is a symbol of Turkish hospitality, non-public care, smart health,” said Nuket Filiba, CEO of the Rebul Workshop.
Atelier Rebul is one of the oldest brands of kolonya, dating back to 1895. It offers one more kolonya that can charge up to $20 a bottle, but that hasn’t stopped its steady stream of customers.
“After the pandemic, our sales increased at least five times compared to last year,” Filiba said.
But in late March, factories went into lockdown, and even when they reopened, importing ethanol alcohol — the main ingredient — became almost impossible.
Black-market producers began releasing fake versions of kolonya made with methyl alcohol, which could have serious side effects like temporary blindness, skin irritation, and burns.
The situation is so dire that, according to the official news agency, the government has released the ethanol-alcohol needed to manufacture kolonya by relaxing the country’s criteria for transporting fuel. It was a drastic measure, but it guaranteed the source of the perfume.
Kolonya has much more than just a smell in a country where more than 10,000 people have so far died from COVID-19 and the virus appears to be surging again.
“But we did everything we could to help people,” said Erdem Kaya, a small shop owner. “We kept our previous costs unchanged. We helped as much as we could and worked so that no one was left without kolonya. “
A classic fragrance has enjoyed newfound popularity in Türkiye since the beginning of the COVID-19 fitness crisis.
Kolonya, a Turkish cologne that smells strongly of lemon or lavender, is an ethanol-based concoction that has been used for over two hundred years. Its maximum alcohol content can kill more than 80% of germs, thus acting as an effective remedy. disinfectant.
While kolonya was ubiquitous in Turkey before the pandemic and could be found in shops, restaurants, and hairdressers, the culture of its application is not as popular among young people.
But when Turkey’s fitness minister announced its use at the height of the pandemic in mid-March, outlets began to sell out. People queued for hours to get the staple food.
“When someone knocks at the door, the first thing you do after sitting down is offer kolonya,” said Engin Tuncer, CEO of Eyüp Sabri Tuncer, a well-known kolonya producer. “It is the task of the youngest child in any home: ‘Come , give your aunts and uncles a pinch of kolonya. ‘”
The smell of kolonya is described as the national fragrance of Türkiye. The sweet flavors consist of fig flowers, jasmine, roses and all kinds of citrus ingredients.
Eyüp Sabri Tuncer has been mixing water, alcohol, and aromatic plants to make its recipe for many decades.
But long before vats of alcohol were combined to meet pandemic demand, classic cologne took off under the Ottoman Empire. It was imported from Germany in the 19th century.
Sultan Abdülhamid II used it, and eventually adapted it by blending the tradition of rose water with the novelty of foreign alcohol-based fragrances to create kolonya.
Turks started using it mainly as a refresher and perfume. By 1923, Eyüp Sabri Tuncer started producing kolonya out of a small shop in Ankara. Customers got free sample bottles.
When the corporate figured out how to make it more affordable, it a family item. It can charge as little as 10 Turkish lira, or about $1 a bottle.
“Kolonya is very vital to Turkish culture and is unique to our culture. And it is a symbol of Turkish hospitality, private care and smart health,” said Nuket Filiba, CEO of Rebul Workshop.
Atelier Rebul is one of the oldest kolonya brands, dating back to 1895. It offers one more kolonya that can charge up to $20 a bottle, but that hasn’t stopped its steady flow of customers.
“After the pandemic our sales have increased at least five times compared to last year,” Filiba said.
But at the end of March, factories closed and even after reopening, loading ethanol, the main component, was almost impossible.
Black market manufacturers have begun marketing fake versions of kolonya made with methyl alcohol, which can have serious side effects such as temporary blindness, skin inflammation and burns.
The situation is so serious that, according to the official news agency, the government has released the ethanol-alcohol needed to manufacture kolonya by relaxing the country’s criteria for fuel transportation. It was a drastic measure, but it guaranteed the source of the perfume.
Kolonya has much more than just a smell in a country where so far more than 10,000 people have died from COVID-19 and the virus seems to be on the rise again.
“But we did everything in our power to help people,” said Erdem Kaya, a small shop owner. “We have kept the previous costs unchanged. We helped as much as we could and worked so that no one was left without kolonya. “
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