As in any place, the city of Malaga also has its distinctive symbols that differentiate it from other cities. Specifically, the flower that represents the city of the Costa del Sol is the biznaga. A plant that only people from Malaga know, but, although it is unknown, it makes anyone fall in love with it thanks to its unquestionable beauty and its captivating aroma.
If you take a walk through the Larios Streetthe surroundings of the Malaga Cathedral or Cathedral of the Incarnationor the Plaza de las Flores, where the exclusive gastrobar is located. KrakenIn this place, known for its exquisite tapas, you will surely meet the biznagueros, who are the people who sell beautiful bouquets of jasmine nailed to dry stalks, forming a hemispherical structure. Well, these flowers are the biznagas.
The biznagas are so characteristic that the award given at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival is called ”Biznaga de oro”, and there is even a statue in honor of the biznagueros that is located in the gardens of Pedro Luis Alonso, very close to the Malagueta beach.
The fact that the biznaga is considered the flower of Malaga is no coincidence, as everything has its origin and history. history of Malaga . In this post we will tell you how this flower became the symbol of the city and the figure of the biznaguero.
Origin of the biznaga
The biznaga is not a flower that is born, so to speak. Unlike other flowers, such as roses or daisies, the biznaga is made. It is a work of art created by the biznagueros that consists of carefully placing jasmines one by one until they form a kind of bouquet.
The origin of the biznaga goes back to the Arabian past of Malaga (Al-Andalus), in fact, the term Biznaga is an Arabic concept, which means ”gift from God”. This bouquet was born with the purpose of repelling mosquitoes, because although its sweet aroma dazzles anyone, it is not so pleasant for mosquitoes.
Nowadays it is used more for decoration, although there are still people from Malaga who always have a biznaga on their bedside table so that not a single mosquito can get near it.
The biznaguero of Malaga
The biznaguero is a street vendor of biznagas. This is a job that has existed for centuries in the city of Malaga, which has been passed from generation to generation and is considered a family business.
As in all public-facing jobs, the biznagueros also have their own uniform. This consists of a white shirt, black pants, red sash and espadrilles.
So that we can enjoy the biznagas and their sweet aroma during the summer nights, the biznagueros begin their work at the end of winter. They collect the nerdo stems, clean them so that only the stem remains and leave them in the open air while waiting for the jasmines to bloom in summer, and then insert them one by one on the stem. If in addition to satisfying your sense of smell, you want to delight your taste buds, then come to Pez Wanda restaurant and try their rice dishes, you won’t want to try any others!
The highest peak for the biznagueros is the Malaga Fair, where the biznagas become protagonists in the dresses and costumes of the locals and tourists.
In short, if you are going to visit Malaga soon do not forget to take a look at the biznagueros and buy your own biznaga to decorate and aromatize your house with this precious and unique flower.