Old is new again

A little over a year ago I posted about some wild tobacco flowers that I found by chance growing in my grandmother's garden.
Well since then while researching perfume ingredients, again by chance I came across an old formula for a 'Tobacco Flowers Perfume'. This particular formula dated from a 1940's book on botanicals and most of the ingredients, like bergamot, that were used in this formula are very familiar and still very much in existence today. The recipe described the aroma of tobacco flowers as being "reminiscent of clary sage, tonka, rose, carnation and honey."

It inspired me to do some more research on tobacco flower perfumes and to set about re-creating the scent of tobacco flowers either as a stand-alone perfume or as an accord that can then be incorporated into another perfume. I also hope to use only or mostly all-natural ingredients for this project.

It is a painstaking, but fun and interesting challenge to go over these vintage perfume books and learn about the ingredients used back then, and then try to modernize or substitute them with modern-day raw materials and present them in a way that can appeal to people today.

Oh, and the tobacco flowers that I took from my grandmother's garden? Well, I never did manage to get them to grow, unfortunately. But hopefully I will have more success in re-creating their scent.

Caribbean Fine Cocoa & Chocolate Expo

Caribbean Chocolate Giclee Print, Copyright Amanda Jones Aromatics. All Rights Reserved.


The second annual Caribbean Chocolate Expo is scheduled to take place this June in Tobago. Countries in the Caribbean which make up the cocoa sector are Trinidad & Tobago, St Lucia, Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, Belize, St Vincent, Dominican Republic & Costa Rica. For more info on the upcoming conference and expo, see: http://www.caribbeanfinecocoaforum.org/index.php

Rare Coral Tree Re-discovered In Tanzania

Two tree species once feared extinct have been discovered in a threatened coastal forest in the African country of Tanzania. The two species have made reappearances before, but both trees, one a legume, the other a member of the mint family, were thought to have finally been obliterated in recent years.

Botantists rediscovered the trees in the southeastern African nation in 2011. The country has offered up another, perhaps more striking, discovery in recent months: a colorful new snake species.

"Both trees are still in critical danger of extinction, given that fewer than 50 individuals of each species are known," Roy Gereau, a botanist with the Missouri Botanical Garden's Africa and Madagascar Department, said in a statement.

The species, Erythrina schliebenii, a type of coral tree, has spectacular red flowers and vicious spines along its trunk. The tree was collected only twice, in the 1930s, from an area later cleared for a cashew plantation.

It was listed as "Extinct" on the IUCN Red List in 1998, but was rediscovered in a small patch of unprotected forest in 2001. When that forest was cleared for a biofuel plantation in 2008, it was again feared the thorny tree had gone extinct.

The other tree species, Karomia gigas, was known from only a single specimen cut down a few years after it was first discovered in coastal Kenya in 1977. Another specimen was discovered in 1993 nearly 400 miles (600 kilometers) away in a tiny fragment of forest in Tanzania, but a more recent search at the same site didn't uncover any of the trees.

(By Our Amazing Planet)

Free family fun trail

Golden Destiny, the boutique publishing house that focuses on untold stories of ancient African history for children, has just released its second book, The Story of Early Ancient Egypt. Beginning 'Before the Pharaohs', it covers 18,000 years of amazing human history in an easy, readable style.
Join the book's author K.N. Chimbiri on Tuesday, October 25 at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London for a family fun trail. Hunt for all the objects, including the ancient Afro combs from 5,000 years ago, which are featured in The Story of Early Ancient Egypt.
It's free of charge and starts at 2 pm. Call 07980 631 077 or email info@golden-destiny.com to book.

Botanical Inspired Fine Art Prints

Hibiscus Tea is just one in a series of fine art prints inspired by botanicals and aromatic plants, and now available through my main website. Bursting with hues of deep pink and fuschia, this beautiful illustration will bring a pop of colour to any room.
Each print was printed on high quality archival card, which ensures that the artwork will not fade in sunlight, and will last for generations to come!

Little-known ancient history can be empowering, uplifting for our children

The archaeological sites of the Island of Meroe in the Sudan, and formerly the heartland of the powerful Kingdom of Kush, was recently awarded world heritage status by UNESCO.

In ancient times, there were two very rich civilizations located on the banks of the river Nile. One was ancient Egypt, but what was the other one?

A desire to show that Black people have made valuable contributions to the world and history, prompted Barbadian author Kandace Chimbiri to pen a children’s book.

“There is a sad lack of diversity in children’s books today,” Kandace said. I find that I struggle to find good-quality, accurate books about Black history for my god-children. Outside of slavery or the heroic civil rights personalities, there is very little available. I’d long been interested in early African history – i.e. before slavery and colonialism – and I wanted to impart that to the children.”

Along with helping children to see positive role models, Kandace wanted them to know the richness of their history.
“I wanted them to know that Black history is more than just slavery,” she said. I wanted them to realize that Black people do not enter world history as slaves, but in fact have a long history before that which includes kingdoms and empires and contributions to world history.”

After spending more than a year researching, in 2009 Kandace set up her own publishing house, Golden Destiny Ltd. to specialize in non-fiction books for children. She has always been drawn to the classical eras of African history.

“I feel that doing a book for children carries even more responsibility than a book for adults. I had to make sure that everything was correct. Scholars and knowledgeable readers will question facts, especially current beliefs. There is still a widespread perception that African societies only had writing from contact with the Arabs and Europeans. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.”

What Kandace eventually produced was an activity book called Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush.

“I wanted to create an activity book that would reveal the architecture, dress, arts, trade and religion of the ancient Kushites in a fun and interactive manner.”

Kandace admits that the book, while targeted to children ages seven and up, is designed to be used by the child and their parent, guardian or teacher.
“I often have adults of all ages buying the book for themselves. They say “I never learnt this history and I want it for myself!”, she revealed.

Jewellery belonging to Kushite Queen Amanishakheto (10-1 BC) can now be found in Germany. Photo: Copyright © Kunst Museum, Munich.

According to Kandace, Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush, which is available at several bookstores and museums, has garnered some positive feedback from parents and children.
“That makes me feel really happy – it was a big step doing a first project like this, I did not know how people would respond especially as, unfortunately, not many people know about this ancient civilization, she said.

(Taken from a recent interview with K.N. Chimbiri in The Sunday Sun newspaper.)