Osmanthus Burkwoodii, also known as fragrant olive or sweet olive, is a plant that grows throughout Asia. It’s especially popular during Chinese New Year — when it’s traditionally used to celebrate longevity in China — and has been featured in many classic works of literature from the country.
Known to produce fragrant oils, these plants bring joy and happiness to households throughout the year when displayed in large amounts. To honor the fragrant plant, we’ve compiled a collection of our favorite traditional Chinese medicine recipes that utilize Osmanthus.
The Health Benefits of Osmanthus
The most notable feature of this plant is its unique ability to help women regulate their menstrual cycle. Relatively new to the limelight as a medicinal herb, it is reported to detoxify the female body and increase blood flow to the reproductive organs. In addition, it has been proven to relieve period pain, prevent ovarian dysfunction, and accelerate the menstrual flow.
Ayurveda says that by using 1 part of dried leaves of the plant, you can relieve pain in the beginning of your period, and then ease your cramps and bleeding. It can also eliminate contractions for the following week.
Newsbreak Health points out that other traditional Chinese medicine methods claim that the sap of the plant, which is edible, can also be used to diagnose change in libido, and if two plants are compared, the one with high amount of pearly secretion will win over the other.
Even though it’s already mentioned that pomegranate can induce contractions, specifically for the uterus, the true meaning of “musk” is pain.
It’s shown off in paintings from the Tang Dynasty (618–907), as well as Greg LaRue’s brilliant modern take on the tales from that period.
But what makes this plant so unique? It’s got a spicy, woody scent (as if wood smoke wasn’t overwhelming enough) and is prized for its soft, creamy texture and beautiful, glistening granularity. Alas, I have no idea if it counts as an accent color for this olive… but I thought I’d try to photograph it anyway.
But there’s a new twist to this annual wonder.
With a blue color and fresh, fruity aroma, it can blend into almost any salad or other green leafy concoction. In fact, you can enjoy this plant indoors simply by mashing leaves with some coconut milk or a little bit of salt and pepper and sprinkling them over a bright salad. If you’re considering using it for spectacularly bright, peppery salads, though, it’s important to be mindful of how it’s prepared and be aware of any potential health risks.
Still, any kind of fresh, attractive, fragrant plant is worth adding to your plate.
In fact, an estimated 32 million tons of Osmanthus is harvested globally each year, most of which goes to China — where the plant itself is deeply rooted in culture — or beyond. But when you think of the health benefits the plant could offer, its ability to brighten up what’s otherwise a fairly drab bowl of greens can’t be overlooked.
A recent study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that by using precise, controlled methods, it was possible to physically change the color of leaves through chemical reactions with oxygen and varnish. You can try making this happen yourself, but don’t expect it to result in flavorful, interesting results. It tested commercial paint brands from two of the largest manufacturers in the world — Sherwin Williams and Lennox — with three different lead compounds to mimic the different colors of the leaves. Both paint brands repainted their samples eight times, which resulted in 144 different paints. After placing each sample on a glass slide, they found the samples ended up looking like shades of caramel, beige and caramel/beige, as well as shades of yellow and green. Not one of the samples showed a green pigment. This doesn’t mean you can’t use the mixture to make green-based vinaigrettes, but it does mean you have to keep an eye on the colors you choose.
If you want to be really confident in the cosmetics you put on your vinaigrette, you should skip the binder. Most commercial vinaigrettes used in restaurants and packaged goods contain a binder made of refined sugar and starch, aka beet molasses. The study in JACS showed this muddled molasses, mixed with various other ingredients, can produce pretty colors, such as warm, yellow, orange, bright red, orange-orange or deep green.
