Africa

Orange Blossom

Citrus × aurantium (bitter/Seville orange) flowers.

Flower, most often distilled into orange blossom water rather than used dried.

Part Used

Primarily distilled water; occasionally dried flower for tea.

Form

Zhar / ma zahr (Arabic, referring to the water; the dried blossom itself is less common than the distilled water).

Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria.

Sweet, floral, faintly bitter-citrus.

Flavoring for pastries, syrups, salads (notably Moroccan orange salad), and mint tea.

Moroccan orange and cinnamon salad; briouats; basbousa-style sweets.

Cinnamon, almonds, honey, dates.

Add off the heat or at the end – the volatile aroma cooks off quickly.

Bottled water keeps over a year in a cool, dark cupboard once opened.

Rosewater, though the flavor profile differs (floral-fruity vs. floral-rosy).

Orange blossom is equally central to pastry work across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Not a blend component; used as a standalone flavoring alongside spice blends.