Kewra Oil

The flower is dear to the Indian heart is Kewda (Pandanus odoratissimus). It grows on a small tree or shrub which is both cultivated and grows wild in coastal areas. It can also be found in some inland districts but the flowers seem to create their most exquisite floral bouquet in certain coastal localities, the most famous being the Ganjam district of Odisha. The tree/shrub can reach a height of 18 feet. 

Kewra oil is extracted from the flowers of Kewra plant through the steam distillation method. Due to its awesome health benefits, it is widely used in the aromatherapy applications. The botanical name of Kewra plant is Pandanus Odoratissimus.

For essential oil extraction all the collected flower samples were carefully transported to the distillation units. The green spathe of inflorescence was removed completely manually to improve the essential oil yield. The oil extraction was carried out by Clevenger’s apparatus from all the flowers. The flowers are chopped in to small pieces and 1000g of flowers are placed in the flask to which 3000ml of distilled water is added.