Falling in Love Again

Thanks to olivegarden.gr

 With Lemon Myrtle that is!

What a crazy, fabulous tree this is, and what a fresh, bold and assertive statement in lemon love!! The lemony family is a big one: citrus, lemongrass, lemon verbena, melissa, citronella (be nice!) and even eucalyptus citriodora. But Lemon Myrtle is the überchild, the biggest, boldest and most sophisticated!

Bakhousia citriodora--it belongs to the family Myrtaceae, unsurprisingly. Lemon Myrtle is native to Queensland, Australia but now is cultivated in New South Wales as well. But it’s definitely Australian, what they call a Bushfood.

Thanks to bullockcreeknursery.com.au

Lemon Myrtle was used by the native Aboriginal people as a medicine (it’s very anti-microbial) as well as a flavoring, before increasing in popularity with the general population. It fell out of favor for a while, in general, but in the last 15-20 years has picked up in popularity again, this time in the world at large, not just among those who know it and love it locally.

As a flavoring, this is a great, delicious and creamy lemon oil. As usual, it’s best with butter and cream. (What isn’t?)  Lemon Myrtle flavored shortbread cookies, pastas, fish, etc; you are limited by your imagination. Enfleurage Middle East is experimenting with some ice creams and you’ll hear about it soon.

I made a spray for the bathroom, using a bit of vodka in water, in one of those big plastic bottles with a trigger, with Lemon Myrtle, Cinnamon, and a tad of Tea Tree, Geranium and Savory, thinking it would be useful. For Heaven’s sake, It’s beautiful! I’m completely addicted to it. The entire house shines as I prance around, spraying 6 or 7 big gusts, and its so fresh and clean, but with this creaminess, no pineyness.

Somehow, when we talk about oils that are good for cleaning with, it’s rather on the side of useful, utility, and cost; versus heady, narcotic, love and lushness. We tend to choose them not for their delectableness, but for their practicality. Am I wrong?

Well, here is the perfect marriage, the stellar lemon cream burst to the cosmos, and you can feel free to spray it all over your house, and the air just shimmers in delight. And yes, it disinfects as well.

Years ago I fell in love with Lemon Myrtle--it was one of the first oils we ever imported ourselves. But it was not well known or popular, and anyway, my head was turned by every neroli, jasmine and geranium that passed. Years later, on the other side of the world, I’m dancing through the Myrtle mists of lemony love once again.