Essays on Flavor and Fragrance: 27 posts

Le Palais des Thés has launched a collection of non-caffeinated teas based on fruit. Each blend includes pieces of dried fruit, herbs, and flowers.

Jardin Suspendu is fresh and acidic. It’s a blend of apple, orange & orange peel,  hibiscus flowers, rosehip peel, lemongrass, cornflower petals, sunflower petals, rose petals, mallow petals, and notes of mango and bergamot.

Jardin Tropical is sweet and tropical. It blends mango, pineapple, papaya and peach with rosehip peel, lemongrass, and cornflower petals.

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I don’t often think of Marie-Antoinette whenever I use orange blossom water, but perhaps I should. By the time the French queen was playing shepherdess in Versailles, the cultivation of bitter orange trees in France was a long standing tradition solely for the purpose of producing this perfumed liquid.  The aromatic distillation of fresh blossoms scented the linens of the nobility. It found its way into Marie Antoinette’s beauty preparations. It flavored madeleines, little French butter cakes that Marcel Proust immortalized in The Search for Lost Time. Relaxing with a cup of Café Blanc or Orange Blossom and Mint Lemonade is a luxury but thank heavens it’s no longer reserved for the royalty.

If you’ve never used floral waters, it might seem that they are best suited for pink girly desserts and incurable romantics. But while I admit to being a romantic, rose and orange blossom waters are remarkably versatile. A mere hint can give a familiar dish a new, haunting flavor, and you only need take a page from traditional cuisines–from Provence to Morocco, to see how diverse the use of floral waters can be. Once you start experimenting, I have no doubt that you’ll invent new recipes.

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Let me shower you with rose petals today. On second thought, as far as I’m concerned, roses are too good to be left only for Valentine’s Day, and whenever I can, I indulge in a bit of pink petal fantasy. Rose perfumes are great to daydream about summer, but my little secret is found in a kitchen cupboard. It’s a bottle of rosewater. I use it in my tea, splash it on my face and sprinkle the bed sheets for a delicious finale to my day. If you want everything coming up roses, it’s hard to resist its honeyed perfume.

Rosewater is the by-product of rose oil production. When the rose petals are steam distilled, the watery substance (hydrosol) that remains behind after the essential oil is removed still has a rich scent. It’s prized for its cosmetic and flavor properties, and genuine rosewater smells like a walk through a blooming garden. Commercially, it’s biggest use is in skincare and flavors. In food, it’s not only used for candy and desserts; a rose accent can add an intriguing layer of flavor to a savory dish.

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French pastry chef Pierre Hermé and Rochas in-house perfumer Jean-Michel Duriez are collaborating on a book that explores the relationship between perfume and food. Hermé is often called “The Picasso of Pastry” for his unconventional flavor combinations. He has been using fragrances such as Guerlain Shalimar and Rochas Eau Sensuelle as inspirations for his desserts. More recently, he created a “Rose and Jasmine” cake inspired by Jean Patou Joy and a “Peach, Rose and Cumin” tart suggested by Rochas Femme.

“For the edible version, Hermé began with a sweet biscuit pastry, garnished with an almond cream infused with rose petals, and fresh yellow peaches dusted with cumin-flavoured sugar for the right balance of fruit, flower and spice.” The book will be released in October 2012. Read more about the collaborations between a chef and a perfumer in Edible perfume, when chefs follow their nose.

Now I would love to taste the Femme inspired tart!

Hot chestnut honey, smoky leather, waxed woods… This may sound like a perfume description, but what I’m talking about is tea, and to be more precise, Yunnan d’Or tea from Le Palais des Thés. As I sniff the amber colored liquid in my cup, I get a bright and sparkling top note of sticky buds and caramel, but a sip reveals a voluptuous leathery richness. It’s a revelation. I knew that tea, like wine, chocolate and other complex flavors, has numerous layers, but to experience a perfume pyramid in a tea cup feels exciting.

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