Another little piece I have found, also from 2009; an exercise for the writing group I belonged to in Singapore. The task was to write about our favourite smell in less than 100 words.
This is my offering - 99 words.
Rich, round and yellow this aroma arrives without knocking. A blast of fragrant happiness that makes the limbic system salsa. A trace of spice underlying a big, bold statement of lemon. Or is it? Sherbet lemons, for sure. But lemons off the tree? No.
If this aroma had a nationality it would be Spanish ... hot blooded, a little dramatic, romantic, and prone to lingering. In the lake-you-feel-good factor stakes it's right up there with chocolate or a smile from a handsome stranger.
It's an essential oil I never leave home without: Litsea Cubeba is its name. Sunshine in a bottle.