Orange blossom

Citrus aurantium · Edible flower

40 pairings

Orange blossom is the small, waxy white flower of the citrus tree, most prized from the bitter or Seville orange (Citrus aurantium). Intensely sweet and floral, the blossoms are distilled into orange-flower water and the perfume material neroli, and they perfume pastries, syrups and drinks across the Mediterranean and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, waxy white, scent at fullBrowned and limp, the scent gone

Same daySteep them whole in warm syrup, honey or milk and strain, or dry them for tea. Food-grown only: florist, garden-centre and street citrus carry sprays that do not rinse off.Everyday best

Where it came fromA grower's or kitchen garden's tree, grown to eat

The blossomStill white and open, an edge or two turning cream

Smell itSweet and clear up close, green-citrus lift behind it

What to look for, from just opened, waxy white, scent at full to browned and limp, the scent gone.

Preparing