The Greeks called it chamaimelon, the “ground apple”, because of the fruity scent of its flowers. Matricaria chamomilla, German chamomile, is a small annual Asteraceae with white and yellow flower heads, a cousin of the daisy.

Fleurs de Camomille Matricaire Bio offers the flowers alone, whole, certified organic and harvested in Egypt, Croatia and Kosovo. The flower heads keep their domed golden centre, surrounded by a few white ray florets. Whole flowers rather than crushed: they keep their fragrance better and give a clearer infusion, without dust.

Dry, the flowers give off the scent of ripe apple and soft hay that gave the plant its name. The infusion produces a pale yellow liquor of great clarity. On the palate, the roundness is honeyed and delicate; a measured infusion keeps it free of bitterness, while a longer one gives it a little more character. The finish is floral, soft and lingering.

Naturally caffeine-free, it accompanies evenings. Use 13 to 18 g of flowers per litre, or between 2.5 and 3.5 g for a single cup; the water must reach 100 °C, and the infusion should last five minutes, ten at most. It also pairs well with a strip of lemon zest, a leaf of verbena or a spoonful of acacia honey.

In the kitchen, it perfumes a crème brûlée, a syrup for poached pears, a caramel. The flowers are fragile: a tightly closed tin, away from daylight and humidity, protects them. Our two shops weigh them to your needs.