Spikenard is a white flower native to Nepal that was imported to Europe in the late sixteenth century its aroma is clean, dense and intense.

It is a flower that opens at sunset, at which time it gives off its sweet and seductive aroma. One of the main olfactory qualities of this ingredient is its permanence, since its flower continues to give off its aroma days after it has been cut.

It is used for the elaboration of high-end perfumes, since the scent extraction technique is quite complex.

The scent of this flower is reminiscent of a somewhat fruity blend of honey, jasmine and orange blossom. Its intensity is such that it can be narcotic, which is why during the Renaissance it was a forbidden flower for young girls because it was said to shape the wills.

Did you know that for Christianity it is a flower with a lot of symbolism? It is named in the Song of Songs as a symbol of faithful, pure and unmeasured love between spouses. Also in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John is related the episode in which Mary of Bethany anoints the feet of Jesus with oil of spikenard, breaking the alabaster jar that contained it.

Nard is for Christianity a symbol of purity and divinity. For this reason it is used as a holy oil in many liturgies,