Osmantus (桂花) is one of my favourite flavours, from the traditional osmanthus jelly at dim sum to the osmantus sluch at bubble tea place. So when we’re making macarons this flavour automatically came to my mind.
Osmanthus is also called “sweet tea olive”. The name “osmanthus” is from the Greek words of “osme” (scent) and “anthos” (flower). As its name suggests, it’s a very fragrant flower and it’s often used in Chinese cooking, particularly used in desserts and mixed in tea. Unlike roses, which have a sweet scent, the fragrant of osmanthus is very dense but subtle.
Osmanthus blossoms in the 8th month of the Lunar calendar (around September) so that is also called 桂月. But of course, with the dried flower this elegant taste can be enjoyed anytime of the year ^^
