Smells like ‘ween Spirit

JdelP, que descanse en paz.

If the Internet could bring you and me a little satis-olfaction, I’d share a whiff of this at-first-smell, bizarrely named eau de toilette. It helps to realize that “Halloween” is a hard word for native Spanish-speakers to pronounce. The letter “h” is silent for them, and the “w” is for borrowed or foreign words. For such an audience, the latter lends an exotic air to the experience, but it is harsh-sounding all the same. You see, in trying to approximate the English “h,” one often over-compensates for it, and the results are never pleasant to the ears.

I turned to the late Spanish designer himself  (yes, he just died in August) in virtual splendor to let us in on the rationale behind the name. Not far into my recon, I learn that this fragrance has been around since 1997 and is but one offering in Jesús del Pozo’s Halloween product line (the latest being HWN Fever), among 11 total house creations. I see where the creators are coming from, but the name still doesn’t match up with what comes out of the bottle. It is neither seductive nor bewitching, but, heck, maybe my nose is a bit off. I prefer his flowing sweeps of fancy scattered across almost four decades. Solid colors, draping fabrics, enveloping volume. Now that’s what I call seductive and bewitching.

The Flying Paprikas

Shimmy, shimmy, shake.

I bought this for the logo, font style and the brand name. Having worked for a Barcelona-based trade development organization for five years, I’m partial to Spanish brands. This is mild paprika, which in Spanish is pimentón dulce (dulce literally means “sweet”).

Turns out this company from Alicante (southeastern Spain) has been flying since 1918! They took off with a brand of food colorings called “El Aeroplano,” which also means airplane, but that term is less modern for the winged machine we know today. La Cadena (chain) is their brand of food coloring sachets, whereas saffron, paprika, other spices, seasonings, nuts and herbal teas are branded El Avión.

Slow to reach altitude, however, is the website, which had been circling the tarmac since 2009. Too bad it’s no longer got any content, because they could have really covered some ground in reviving the beautiful vintage packaging labels and promotional posters for saffron from the 1930’s and 1940’s.

Good night, Moon

Brought to us by Pago Baldios San Carlos (Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain)

As the Earth aligns itself tonight between the full moon and the sun, I’ll be doing the same but between some wine and slices of Manchego cheese drizzled with another full moon…an EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) from a region of Spain that is dear to my heart: Extremadura. My good friend, Lupe, hails from there. I have visited it several times and enjoyed its many cultural treasures, edible and otherwise. I was first taken by the name, as most gourmet olive oils drown themselves out in over-descriptiveness or rely mainly on packaging wizardry to close the deal. However, all I needed to know was that the magic stemmed from arbequina olives (my favorite), which are supposedly picked during the full moon of October…hence the name. I also love the unusual bottle. No, it’s not round, but the short and stout shape does remind me of a circle and won’t easily tip over or block anyone’s view on a table. Hello, moon!