Plumeria

Plumeria rubra · Edible flower

40 pairings

Plumeria (frangipani) is the intensely fragrant tropical blossom of small trees in the genus Plumeria — five-petalled, pinwheel-shaped flowers most famous strung into Polynesian leis, and eaten in modest amounts across the Pacific and South and Southeast Asia as tea, fritters and a perfumed garnish.

Picking a good onedrag

Just picked, waxy and full-scentedBruised brown and collapsing

Shop freshPetals only, and sparingly — pull them from the tube for a scented garnish or salad, batter and fry them, or steep them. Sap, bark, leaves and seed pods are not food.Everyday best

Where it came fromYour own unsprayed tree, picked and rinsed the same morning

The petalsStill waxy, a faint tan line down one outer edge

One bloom in the handStill firm, the outer petals beginning to relax

Tube and break at the baseBase drying, the sap set to a clear film, tube still firm

Smell at the bloomStill clearly perfumed, but you have to go to it

What to look for, from just picked, waxy and full-scented to bruised brown and collapsing.

Preparing