The Sweet Smelling Kamuning

Just a quick post! I saw our kamuning in bloom today. No, this is not the first time it flowered. In fact it flowers quite regularly. But this is just one of those special days that I really stopped to smell 'dem flowers. What a wonderful plant to take for granted.

Kamuning is Murraya paniculata. It is quite well known in tropical gardens and in the bonsai hobby. It is known to foreigners as orange jasmine, a little irony because it is not actually related to the genus Jasminum which carries most of the true jasmine species. It is related closer to oranges though so half of its common name is true. That is why the smell of the kamuning flower is similar to the smell of Citrus flowers, so sweet with a hint of pungent flavor. Kamuning is also closely associated with Murraya koenigii, a source of the curry spice. I am not sure though if kamuning has some gastronomic use as most of its edible cousins.