"The osmanthus flowers fall from the moon, and their heavenly fragrance drifts beyond the clouds." This phrase describes osmanthus flowers scattering in the moonlight, their heavenly scent carried by the wind beyond the clouds.
Loved since ancient times, osmanthus flowers have a lingering fragrance that is rich and refreshing, bringing a sense of clarity and delight. Besides moon-gazing and eating mooncakes, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also the best time to savor osmanthus flowers.
Why do we savor osmanthus flowers during the Mid-Autumn Festival?
As the saying goes, "The scent of osmanthus fills ten miles in the rich autumn air". After the beginning of autumn, osmanthus flowers are in full bloom, but they start to wither after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Hence, osmanthus flowers have historically become a seasonal delicacy, with the Mid-Autumn Festival being the best time to savour them. In ancient times, people would collect fallen osmanthus flowers and brew them into osmanthus wine. By the next Mid-Autumn Festival, the wine, having been brewed for a year, would be rich and fragrant, leading to the tradition of drinking osmanthus wine during the festival.
Additionally, the word for osmanthus, "桂" (guì), is homonymous with "貴" (guì), meaning noble or valuable. Thus, the ancient Chinese believed that osmanthus flowers symbolized wealth and good fortune. During festive occasions, they would make various desserts or pastries using osmanthus flowers to invoke auspiciousness for the celebration.
Adding Orange to Osmanthus Jelly
Everyone is familiar with osmanthus jelly, but this time BigBoy brings a fresh twist by infusing them with fresh orange juice. This combination is likely a first for many, but I can assure you, it’s a jelly so delicious it'll leave you floored. In fact, adding orange to osmanthus oolong tea is not a new idea; the scents of orange and osmanthus complement each other beautifully. The fusion of these two brings an unexpected delight to this osmanthus jelly. The video is ready for you, and if you scroll down, you’ll find a detailed written recipe and instructions. Lastly, I wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Ingredients
Navel Orange | 1 whole (squeezing 100g juice) |
|---|---|
Navel Orange | 1 whole (slice) |
Goji Berries | 7 g |
Water | 800g |
Dried osmanthus flower | 5g |
Osmanthus Syrup | 20g |
Raw Sugar | 100g |
Gelatine Sheets | 40g |
Steps
1.
Prepare a square mold by lining it with plastic wrap and set it aside.
2.
Juice one Sunkist® Navel Orange to obtain 100g of orange juice, and slice the other one for later use.
3.
Rinse the goji berries and dried osmanthus flowers with water and drain them. Bloom the gelatine sheets in cold water until soft, then squeeze out the excess water.
4.
Bring 800g of water to a boil, then turn off the heat and add the rinsed osmanthus flowers. Let them sit for 3 minutes to release their flavour.
5.
Strain the osmanthus-infused water.
6.
Return the osmanthus water to the pot and add osmanthus syrup, raw cane sugar, and goji berries. Bring to a gentle boil over low heat.
7.
Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the orange juice. Immediately add the softened gelatine sheets and stir until fully dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour.
8.
Place the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes until it reaches a semi-solid or thick consistency. Take it out and stir to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
9.
Arrange a few orange slices at the bottom of the square mold, then pour in the osmanthus mixture. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until fully set.
10.
Remove from the mold, cut into pieces, and enjoy!
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