“Do you know the land where the orange tree blossoms?” sings young Mignon in the charming opéra-comique, evoking Italy, where the bitter orange tree was brought back at the time of the Crusades, having previously been passed on by the Persians to the Arabs.

A true invitation to travel, the delicate fragrance of orange blossom immediately carries us to the aromas of Mediterranean cuisine and its sun-drenched flavors. Flowers, leaves, branches, and fruits each offer, in their own way, a variety of scents and nuances, like so many colors adorning their tree. The flowers, highly fragrant, are of a pure white. The fruit, the bigarade, commonly known as the bitter orange, has a thick, rough peel, and its pulp—powerful and acidic in taste—is unfit to be eaten fresh, but makes an excellent marmalade.

Recipes

Waters of Orange Blossom
Chicken with Pears, Spices, and Orange Blossom
Sautéed Lamb with Carrots, Saffron, and Dried Fruit
Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Orange Blossom
Ricotta with Orange Blossom, Honey, and Hazelnuts
Swiss chard pie
Fougasse d’Aigues-Mortes (sweet brioche bread with orange blossom, from Provence)
astiera (Neapolitan ricotta and wheat pie scented with orange blossom
Polenta Tart
White Coffee by Lucien Zayan

Book in French