Tuberose Is a Favorite Thing



Bouquet of Tuberose on my bedside table.

 Hurray! I found my blog spot... somewhere I can just write about what I love today. Besides it being an awesome day, because I'm launching my new blog (xo, Ciao Bella). It has been an awesome day, because I awoke this morning to the sweet, intoxicating and exotic scent of Tuberose emanating from the small vase at the edge of my bedside table. Ok, now you may be wondering what the heck is the big deal about this Tuberose business, but for someone with a heightened sense of smell, like me (really my olfactory system is off the hook) -- this was impressive.

This sweet flower looks so small, delicate and pure, yet the aroma is so shockingly powerful that it woke me up out of a dead sleep. No wonder it is known in India as "Queen of the Night"! As I've discovered, Tuberose IS most fragrant at night and I sure did toss and turn...  and dreamt of distant lands where Tuberose is celebrated and traditionally used in sacred rituals, like weddings in India and ironically,  funerals during the Victorian era. Tuberose has also been cultivated in Hawaii to make leis, Iran for perfumes and Thai kitchens for certain recipes.

Tuberose also proved to be useful upon awakening in the morning, since I tend to be a groggy riser. One small whiff and like a sweet jolt of coffee to the brain (sans the caffeine) I sluggishly emerged.

Have you ever experienced a waft of Tuberose? Did it knock you off of your feet?? What floral scents do you love?

xo, Ciao Bella