Jennifer Brennan

Flower Flavorings and Essences

Appears in
The Original Thai Cookbook
The Original Thai Cookbook

By Jennifer Brennan

Published 1981

  • About
The Thai have traditionally flavored their sweets and desserts with blossoms or the smoke of scented candles. Cakes and other desserts were either put in a closed container with highly scented flowers, such as jasmine or roses, or placed in a container with a smoking, perfumed candle so the odor permeated the dish.

Some sweets and desserts were originally colored and flavored with a solution of crushed, green Pandanus leaves (Bai Toey) and water. Lamciak, Pandanus Tectorius, branched screwpine flowers, were also used for perfuming desserts. Anjan flowers (I cannot find an English equivalent or scientific name) were mixed with hot water, and the resultant, perfumed extract was kneaded into cake mixtures. Anjan produces a blue coloration; cochineal used for red.