India, Oct. 2 -- Every autumn, as the air swells with festivity, the ground beneath the trees turns into a soft carpet of white and orange blossoms of the Shiuli flower, and its fragrance fills the air. Also known as Parijat in Hindi, Xewali in Assamese, and simply as Shiuli phool in Bangla, the night-blooming jasmine carries with it, beyond its fragrance, culinary surprises. In Hindu mythology, the Parijat tree was said to have emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthan (a churning of the ocean as per mythology) before finding its way into Lord Indra's heavenly abode. Some stories say Krishna was later gifted the flower by Lord Indra, who then brought it to Earth for his wives. Or, as narrated in the Vayu Purana, Parijataka, a mortal princess, fell in love with the fiery Sun God Surya, and the tree rose from her ashes after she ignited herself for her unrequited love. Yet others whisper that its bittersweet bloom was cursed never to bear fruit. What's certain is that every autumn season, the Shiuli announces the arrival of Durga Puja with its fragrance, and is even offered as a sacred flower to the Goddess herself. But the flower's story doesn't stop at the altar. In the kitchens of Assam, Bengal, Odisha and beyond, Shiuli steps off the prayer plate and into simmering pots and sizzling pans. Its slightly bitter taste results in dishes that are earthy, aromatic, and tied deeply to memory. Gitika Saikia, a food curator from North East, recalls, "We used to leave a clean cloth under the trees the day before and would wake up to a big carpet of Xewali flowers that we later used in cooking."...