Osmanthus

Osmanthe

What it is

The name Guilin means forest of sweet osmanthus, and the city still perfumes wine, jelly and a dense pressed cake with the autumn florets. Each flower is barely three millimetres across, which is why the dried blossom is sold and dosed by the gram rather than the handful.

In the kitchen

Wake the dried florets in water or syrup at 60 °C for ten minutes rather than boiling them, and count about two grams per litre. Past that the apricot note turns to soap and will not come back.

Goes with

Honey Pear Apricot Lotus seed Goji berry Glutinous rice Chinese rock sugar

Also used with

Huamei Jiuniang (fermented sweet rice) Lotus seed paste Snow fungus

In season alongside

Greengage Mirabelle Persimmon Blueberry Cantaloupe melon Cherimoya

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