Jewels From The Nile

From Kim:

Pictured above is a luscious Lotus Essence, housed in a precious glass vial. The scent is dreamy on everyone who wears it.  Just arrived from Cairo, it is pure and enchanting. The plants are pressed to release the essence; there are no other ingredients.    

The lotus is one the most revered flowers in all the world. Its beauty, colors and life have been of huge inspiration in art, philosophy, religion, cuisine and culture for eons.  

We are lucky to have our own Lotus Land, Ganna Walska's beloved gardens and estate in Montecito.  As much as I enjoy a great lap pool, I love that the swimming pool of the estate, built in the 1920's, was later utilized as a home for numerous varieties of the namesake lotus flowers.

Pictured to the left, somewhere in Ho Chi Minh City, float artfully worked lotus flowers, drifting in a huge brass pot. While the flowers are used decoratively, the roots are used in cooking.  One of the most refreshing and delicious salads I've ever had in my life was a lotus root salad in Hanoi. There are so many aspects to this amazing plant! While I've not tried this recipe for lotus-root-salad, it sounds délicieux!