The unique scent of tiare flower

The tiare flower (gardenia tahitensis) has a unique fragrance that is instantly recognizable. Somewhere between ylang-ylang and vanilla, its fragrance is a call to travel to turquoise waters and white sandy beaches.

The characteristics of Tiare flower

It's worth learning all about the Tiare flower to find out more about Polynesian culture and the various traditions surrounding this unique flower!

This flower, the symbol of Polynesia, originated in Micronesia. It was therefore imported by man. It grows on a tropical shrub that can reach 4 meters in height. The leaves are shiny green and vary in size from 5 to 16 cm. The flower is white, sometimes yellow or pink, with 5 to 9 petals.

It blooms annually, so locals can enjoy it all year round. This is no longer a natural flowering, but a human one. Few pollinating insects come to collect tiare tahiti. They proliferate through cuttings and layering.

Tiare flowers have always been used as medicinal plants. Its leaves treat sunburn and convulsions. The buds relieve trauma, liver pain, haemorrhoids, fatigue and more. Mature flowers disinfect wounds, treat bronchitis and cirrhosis.

The unique scent of tiare flower

Tiare flower has an intoxicating, unrivalled fragrance. As such, it is associated with love and carnal pleasures. Vanilla, honey, chocolate, cinnamon and a hint of hyacinth can all be detected.

It was customary for a woman in a couple, married or not, to wear a necklace of tiare flowers all day long. In the evening, she would remove the necklace, the petals of which were impregnated with her body odor, and prepare a massaging oil using freshly grated coconut. The woman would then give her man a massage, so that his scent would mingle with hers for a lasting union. With his wife's scent on him, the man was no longer tempted to look elsewhere.

Monoï and its different fragrances.

Monoï is usually made from tiare flower buds macerated in coconut (or copra) oil. But other ingredients may be added to the preparation, to deliver a different fragrance.

There are as many monoi recipes as there are traditional Polynesian families. Mamas' monoï was made by matriarchs. Some of them added their own little touches to the basic recipe, for even greater benefits or a more or less pronounced fragrance. Whatever the case, the true recipe for monoï remains the combination of fresh coconut oil and tiare flower buds.

Faced with intense worldwide demand and in order to diversify their products, Polynesian manufacturers began marketing other monoï with different fragrances, such as :

• vanilla flower monoï
• coconut monoï
• frangipani flower monoï
• tamanu monoï
• roucou oil monoï

A bottle of monoï can smell rancid. This is a natural phenomenon that often dissipates once on the skin or hair. In fact, tiare flowers (and other plants) have been integrated with coconut oil to camouflage the substance's natural rancid smell.