“¡Niña…, las biznagas, las de Málaga, que son las que huelen!” Salvador Rueda, periodista y poeta.
Memories that smell of jasmine
The biznaga is a flower that isn’t born but is made, like memories that quickly etch themselves into the mind. Those who craft this flower carefully insert unopened jasmine blossoms, one by one, into the tips of a dried thistle that serves as a framework. As night falls, the jasmine blossoms will open, releasing the intense scent of this delicate flower. They must be picked white and still closed on hot summer afternoons so that the biznaga works and opens in the first minutes of the night; avoid picking the purple ones.
Fotografía de Antonio Rivadeneyra
Dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and a red sash, you can recognize the biznaguero, the artisan of this flower, who strolls through the streets of Málaga, perfuming the air with a fleshy prickly pear stem in his hand, onto which he pins dozens of biznagas that, as he passes, release the gentle balm that gives meaning to the Andalusian origin of the word “biznaga,” which means “gift from God.” This legacy from the era of Al-Andalus, when the exquisite culture of the five senses flourished, explains why most Andalusian patios feature a jasmine plant intended to enliven the long evening gatherings, during which family and neighbors gather at their doorsteps with a pitcher of fresh water to enjoy conversation enlivened by the sweet scent.
My mother used to say that in the old days, men wore jasmine bouquets made by threading unopened jasmine blossoms onto a pin; they would fasten this pin near their heart, in the buttonhole of their shirtfront, so that the fragrance would accompany the elegant stroller’s intoxicating stride. When I smell jasmine, I can’t help but recall those early summer mornings from my teenage years, when my mother would place a small pile of jasmine on the nightstand to keep the mosquitoes away, allowing me to fall asleep and embark on that peaceful nocturnal journey that shaped some of my senses. The things that matter to us remain, persist, and in that way never disappear. Since the time of Al-Andalus, the scent of biznaga has been part of the memory and identity of countless people who cherish, like a hug, this endearing fragrance that gently returns summer after summer.