Botanical of the Month: Pomelo Flower
Each month, we spotlight one of the many indigenous Vietnamese and Southeast Asian botanicals used to make Sông Cái Distillery’s gins. This month of March, we’d like to discuss the Pomelo Flower.
Flower culture is prevalent in Vietnam. Many Vietnamese buy or harvest flowers regularly — especially on the first and 15th day of each Lunar calendar month to decorate family altars or to perfume the household. Though most of Vietnam has a tropical climate, there are parts of Vietnam, such as the northern region, which have more temperate subtropical climates that allow for more defined seasonality. As such, certain flowers bloom in specific seasons, making them more special and worth looking forward to.
Pomelo Blossom
The pomelo flower comes into blossom after the Lunar New Year at the beginning of the second lunar calendar month. Its season is short-lived but is marked by a flurry of bicycle vendors riding throughout different parts of the city selling these iconic blossoms. For the time they are in season, it is common to catch a waft of their scent as vendors ride through city streets.
The scent of pomelo blossoms is unforgettable. Mono-terpenes (e.g. limonene) give it notes of citrus while high levels of indole exude scent of sweetness and cream reminiscent of jasmine flowers. As the flowers blossom and reveal their pollen, the aroma becomes even more intense.
People in Vietnam use pomelo blossoms as perfume and as an aromatic agent — specifically to lend floral aromas to teas and most famously, cassava drink (or Vietnamese garri) which is popular for its cooling properties that help people cope with Vietnam’s tropical climate.
Floral Gin
At Sông Cái Distillery, we pay homage to Vietnam’s flower culture by using pomelo blossom in our Vietnam Floral Gin to remind us of that short time of year when its aroma graces Vietnam’s city streets.
Sông Cái traveled throughout lush deltas to gather ingredients, like pomelo blossoms, to create a world-class gin that truly captures the unique flavor of Vietnam.