Mi meng hua (buddleja)

Buddleja officinalis

flower · infusion

Dried flowers boiled into a golden-yellow decoction in which the five-color sticky rice of Zhuang festivals is soaked.

Origin

Southern China (Guangxi, Guizhou)

Where to find it

Its dried flowers are also sold in herbal shops, as “mimenghua”.

Season (United States)

March to April

Preparation

A handful of dried flowers is boiled for about twenty minutes; it is strained, and the rice soaks overnight in the yellow water before cooking. The flowers are thrown away.

Did you know?

The five-color rice of the Zhuang festival on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month owes all its hues to plants.