Heavenly Scent

Have you ever smelled a jasmine flower? If not, you have not lived!

The original habitat of jasmine, in the family of Oleaceae is considered to be Kashmir, but these plants are widely cultivated in many other countries. India alone possesses about 42 species of jasmine, marked by various olfactory characteristics. The Chinese words for the two types of jasmine indicate their origins: Jasminum officinale was known as ye-hsi-ming, from the Arabic yasmin, came from Persia, while Jasminum sambac was moli, from the Sanskrit word mallika. Now, if you have seen my other blog, you would have known where the name Malika comes from. Jasmine, of course!

Jasmines like hot and humid conditions during the day and cool temperatures at night, which they do not often have here in Miami, but they are doing wonderfully nonetheless. Among the many species of jasmine, my most favorite is Jasminum sambac which is a beautifully fragrant everbloomer vine. Called "pikake" in Hawaii, Jasminum sambac is the plant used to flavor the jasmine tea and making perfumes. The Jasminum sambac has many exotic and princely species names such as "Grand Duke of Tuscany "Belle of India,"Mysore Mulli," "Arabian Nights," "Malichat." But I have the "Maid of Orleans" whose scent is "out of this world," literally.

Jasmine is commercially cultivated for perfume making in Ghazimpur, India and Grasse, France which produces the most expensive jasmine. While it is very difficult to make jasmine perfume, it is easier to make jasmine tea. A layer of black tea, a layer of jasmine flowers and so on... But my most wonderful memory when a toddler of the scent of this flower is in a special jello served with a tint of brown liquid sugar. So Proustian like!