A city full of orange blossom fragrance: a city wrapped in floral scent is the most enchanting

When I was a child, I got carsick, and every time we took a ride, my mother would buy a few oranges. When my head was spinning, nothing could beat a few fresh pieces of "orange peel."

And so, from childhood, I developed a complex about the scent of oranges. What we commonly ate was navel oranges, and later I gradually learned there were also blood oranges and bitter oranges. Bitter oranges are astringent and bitter, not good to eat at all, and even when the fruit ripened and fell, rolling all over the ground, nobody bothered to pick them up.

Bitter oranges have poor looks and aren't appealing, but if you encounter a spring shower of orange blossom fragrance after rain, you will forgive the bitterness of the fruit.

Among fragrant flowers, the little white blooms are not just jasmine; get to know orange blossom too~

{Peony Girl Vol.725 }

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Little white flower, princess scent

If you have been to Seville in spring, Spain's castles and churches are no longer the only reason for you to linger; insteada city wrapped in orange blossom fragrance,is the most enchanting of all.

Many bitter orange trees are planted along the streets of Seville, and every spring, the crisp orange blossom fragrance fills the whole city, as if you had strayed into a garden.

Orange blossom is a hermit. For ordinary people, orange blossom is less common than jasmine; but for perfumers and skincare researchers, orange blossom can be said to be their darling.

Essential oil is also a common way to enjoy orange blossom. A portion of orange blossom essential oil is very precious, hailed as the "diamond of herbs”。Every 100 kg of orange blossoms yields only 80 grams of essential oil, and the trees need to be grown for twenty years before they can produce the best-quality flowers for extracting orange blossom essential oil.

In your city and mine, orange blossom can also be seen by chance.In March and April, when the weather is alternately warm and cold, turning back and forth, that is the season when orange blossoms bloom.

It blooms along with the hundred flowers,

with a pure and elegantly understated appearance, less appealing than peach or cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossom is not the flower of the cherry,

but orange blossom is the flower of the bitter orange.

The flower buds are small and lovely,

on the tender green calyx, a milky white candy is set.

The small white flowers are no more than two fingernails in size,

not eye-catching among the glossy green leaves.

The slender yellow style, graceful and delicate,

like a maiden in white, murmuring softly.

Orange blossom belongs to the white flower category, and white flowers usually have a sweet, clear fragrance, such as jasmine and gardenia in early summer, tuberose in midsummer, and white magnolia, which blooms in spring, summer and autumn.

Orange blossom's fragrance is more special than that of its friends in the same category,

not simply fresh; within the clear bitterness there is a trace of sweetness,

like tender shoots newly sprouting after harsh winter.

Even if you don't know orange blossom,

you will still be drawn in by orange blossom's fresh fragrance,

and its delicate, elegant temperament.

In many people's impressions, orange blossom comes from the West. But tracing back to its roots, bitter orange and citrus fruit trees actually originated in the south of ancient China, and were recorded as early as the pre-Qin period.

"The orange blossom is also lovely, reflecting in the water, pure and white. Its solitary fragrance few know, and yellow bees come as guests."During the Northern Song period, people already knew the fragrance of orange blossom, hailed it as solitary fragrance, and used it to express emotions and aspirations.

By the Southern Song period, some people began extracting essential oil by distilling orange blossom. The consorts and princesses in the imperial palace were naturally the first to try it, and imperial physicians had long developed beauty secret formulas for them using orange blossom as the main ingredient.

In ancient China, the use of orange blossom mostly remained among the imperial palace and nobility, kept secret and unspoken; what truly elevated orange blossom to the altar wasthe princess of Nerola in 17th-century Italy。

Yes,it’s me

I am the little orange blossom princess

The princess loved orange blossom to obsession. She not only washed her hands and bathed with orange blossom, but also scented everything with orange blossom: books, gloves, dresses, jewelry. Wherever she went, she gave off orange blossom fragrance, truly a walking"orange blossom spirit"。

Under the advocacy of the orange blossom princess, orange blossom quickly swept through Italy and spread throughout Europe via Venetian merchants.

This little white flower, fresh and elegant, with a captivating fragrance and a purity like that of a maiden, gradually conquered European royal families and becamethe princess's "exclusive fafa"。

Queen Victoria of England even wore an orange blossom wreath at her wedding ceremony, and from then on orange blossom became one of the standard head ornaments for princesses' weddings.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Alice,

used orange blossom to adorn the bride's wreath.

Alice

Legendary princess Grace Kelly's world-shaking wedding of the century,

her headpiece was inlaid with exquisite, dazzling orange blossom gems.

Grace Kelly

A few years ago, Swedish Princess Madeleine married,

and beneath her crown headpiece a string of orange blossom was specially used as decoration.

Madeleine

Orange blossom became the unchallenged choice for bridal head ornaments also becauseit represents "the bride's joy". Among the residents of Crete in Greece, every newlywed must spray bitter orange blossom aromatic water, representing purity and fidelity in marriage.

Perfumers' keen sense of smell naturally would not miss orange blossom, and the most famous among them are none other than Jo Malone's Orange Blossom and Diptyque's Eau des Sens.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom

Jo Malone has a preference for orange blossom,

and orange blossom is used in many of its perfumes.

Among them, Orange Blossom is the internet-famous one in the orange blossom family.

The soft floral scent is like plunging headfirst into a cluster of white flowers,

light as if a breeze has blown past,

with a citrus note running throughout, bright yet fresh.

Top note: citrus blossom; middle note: orange blossom; base note: iris wood

Diptyque's Eau des Sens

"Water of the Senses", just this dirty-sounding name will send people into reverie. A large amount of orange blossom has an aphrodisiac effect (if you want to imitate it, it has nothing to do with me). Spanish prostitutes liked to spray large amounts of orange blossom water on their bodies to attract customers.

Eau des Sens is not simply a little cutie,

its connotations are richer,

orange blossom, orange leaf and orange peel merged into one,

all blended into its energetic vitality.

The slightly spicy orange blossom is joined by a green, resinous scent

with a faint soapiness, refreshing, warm and grounded.

Top note: orange blossom, bitter orange; middle note: juniper berry; base note: patchouli, angelica

Perfumes usually themed around orange blossom make people feel relaxed when smelled. Orange blossom not only won the favor of perfumers; fragrances, hydrosols and skincare products have all taken a shine to this little white flower.

At the same time, orange blossom is also a favorite ingredient in aromatherapy, because it has a very good healing effect.It can make people feel cheerful and can reduce long-term anxiety, depression and stress.

Why do we yearn for orange blossom?

Every day, commuting back and forth among crowds filled with mixed odors: the smell of food, car exhaust, the scent on strangers' bodies; the odors filling the nasal cavity are like a fog piled up from tiny specks of dust...

The cramped, murky smells occasionally disrupt our thoughts. We long for a quiet environment, to watch a flower bloom, to smell a wisp of fresh fragrance.

Mr. Zhou Zuoren said,"Watching the sunset, watching the autumn river, looking at flowers, listening to rain, smelling fragrance, drinking wine not to quench thirst, eating snacks not to fill the stomach, are all necessary in life."

The cloud-like, mist-like floral fragrance twines and spreads to every corner of the body, and worries and unhappiness disappear, and in that moment we make peace with the world.

Chinese people have a tradition of smelling fragrance,

quietly smelling the fragrance of a whole tree of flowers,

and one can escape into a pure, simple world.

As for enchanting floral fragrances,

do you have a favorite one?

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Some images in this article are from photographer @Wang Dali