Hello,
This week is all about rose water. Let’s take the fear out of using this perfumed beauty!
So here’s a little story. When I was 14, we moved to Cyprus. And in order to make some pocket money and fill the time, I spent the summer working at a juice factory. It was an easy, sweaty job, and it paid €50 a week, a fortune at the time! The juice wasn’t fresh, made from disgusting almost luminous concentrates. Orange was the O.G. flavour, with an occasional apple, mango and multivitamin (or whatever it was called at the time) in the mix.
But one concentrate that REALLY blew my mind was the rose concentrate. It wasn’t being sold as juice or a long drink, it was sold as concentrate and it’s quite popular on the island. So rose day only happened every couple weeks, the 40-degree heat and the lack of air conditioning made the smell penetrate every part of my body, it made me nauseas. After the first ‘rose day’, I dreaded all the rose days to come. Whenever Dimitris, my god mother’s husband, used the rose water in his cereal (it was Barbie pink in shade, unlike the actual rose water), I had to leave the room. Dramatic, I know. For years after, I couldn’t stand the smell and would avoid anything that mentioned rose in the ingredients.
But you get older, and you get over your fears. Rose water is a now welcome friend in my kitchen, but I still don’t do well with the pungent scent.
ABOUT Rose Water
What is Rose Water? Rose water is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. There are two main uses of rose water - in cooking and in beauty. The rose water used for cooking will only contain water and rose, the rose water used for beauty products may include other ingredients so make sure you don’t mix them up.
What does it taste like? Rose water is floral, sweet and fragnant. It needs to be used in moderation in order to appreciate its true flavour and quality. Less is more.
Can it be substituted? Once again, I say no. But some suggest adding vanilla instead of rose. It’s a completely different flavour profile so I really don’t think it can be substituted. Luckily, it’s an accessible and inexpensive ingredient with a very long shelf life, so you shouldn’t have any trouble sourcing it.
History of the ingredient
It is believed that Rose Water was invented in Persia, and to this day 90% of the rose water is produced in Iran (according to FT’s article from 2019).
In ancient times, rose water played a significant role in various cultures, serving multiple purposes. The Romans utilised it to freshen the air in the homes, while Cleopatra’s sails were scented with rose water. She also filled her room and bath water with rose petals to seduce Mark Anthony. In ancient Baghdad, mosque builders mixed rose water with musk into a paste, ensuring that noon sun will release the enticing scent.
In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance period, rose water become popular in bathing and hand rinsing rituals (due to its antibacterial properties), it was also used for curing depression – the very beginnings of aromatherapy.
But it’s Persians that we need to thank for introducing rose water into cooking; they started by infusing mutton fat with rose essence to flavour the dishes, it’s also believed that they invented marzipan, for most we associate it with almond flavour, but it used to get infused with rose water. There is evidence of recipes preserved during the Arab Empire's glory days (8th to 11th century A.D.), where they used Persians as inspiration and used rose water to flavour sweet drinks, desserts and some savoury dishes.
As Islamic culture expanded eastward, rose water's influence spread to Indian cuisine, contributing to desserts like gulab jamun and lassi. And last but not least, Turkish delight, or lokum. This rose water-flavoured treat traces its origins back to the early days of the Ottoman Empire, captivating palates for over 500 years.
During the 17th century, roses were in such high demand that rose water was used as used legal tender in parts of Europe. In some cultures, to this day, rose water is used in religious ceremonies (i.e. adorning wedding guests).
And of course, with rose water being an extremely popular ingredient in beauty products it has a lot of great benefits for your skin - rose water has anti-inflammatory properties so it’s great to use on eczema and rosacea, it also helps reduce redness. Rose water has anti-ageing properties and due to its’ antibacterial properties it can help prevent acne, rose water soaks up excess oil and tightens the pores.
QUICK SUGGESTIONS FOR USE:
So here are some immediate natural flavour pairings - almond, apple, apricot, beetroot, cardamom, chocolate, coconut, coffee, cucumber, honey, lemon, melon, orange, pistachios, pomegranate and saffron. If you like to experiment in the kitchen, try adding a few drops of rose water to some of your favourite dishes. Starting with desserts is probably the most natural place, but rose water is definitely a great addition in many savoury dishes too.
Savoury
Persian Gormeh Sabzi - Lamb Stew with Saffron and Rose Water
I love rice in any shape, and I really want to make this Chicken Biryani
More rice, and an excellent side dish Rose Water Pilaf
Can’t stop with rice - Persian Jewelled Rice
Sweet
While it’s still summer, you could make Bastani - Rose Water & Saffron ice cream
Pears poached in rose water (you can also try peaches, nectarines or apricots)
Ottolenghi’s Flourless Layer Cake with Coffee, Walnuts and Rose Water - a show stopper
My favourite kind of cake - gluten free (so that you can serve the crowd), contains nuts and is moist from rose water syrup and high fat content (thanks to nuts) - Semolina Cake with Pistachios and Rose Water
Personally, I find granitas underwhelming but if it’s your thing, this Rose Water & Pomegranate granita looks promising
Rose Syrup - to use to top off ice cream, sponges, add to your drinks and cocktails
And then you might want to make my Mini Pavlovas with Basil Cream, Baked Nectarines & Rose Syrup
If you want to preserve your home grown roses, why not make a Rose Petal Jam? You can experiment with added stone fruits and spices (cardamom, perhaps?)
The perfect trifecta - Pomegranate, Rose Water & Pistachio Rice Pudding
And I couldn’t leave you without a popcorn recipe - Rose Popcorn
Drinks
A refreshing Gulab Sharbat
Another drink to sip on Cardamom & Rose Water Lassi
And we can not forget Fallouda, a drink brimming with layers texture and flavour. I feel that maybe I should be adding it to ‘sweet’ section
Something for the cocktail hour - Rose Water Lemon Drop Martini
Even more recipes to get creative with:
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN
Rose water is made by infusing water with rose petals, which then gets boiled and the escaping steam is captured, resulting in incredibly perfumed flavour. I also found this video that doesn’t include vigorous boiling but does trap the steam (who knew? not me!) The steaming technique has been invented by the Persians and the most popular varieties of roses used for rose water are damasks, centifolias and gallicas.
WHERE TO BUY
You may be lucky and find it in your local supermarket, it might be in the ‘international foods’ isle or in the baking section next to vanilla extract. Or you can visit your local Middle Eastern or South Asian supermarket, where you’ll find it near orange blossom and/or pomegranate syrup. As always, when in doubt, Sous Chef has your back.
Cookbooks to explore: Autumn is THE time for new cookbook releases and I am so excited for First Generation by Frankie Gaw (it’s on my wishlist, please take notes), brimming with Taiwanese American food from Midwest. I also love Frankie’s socials and all the recipes that he puts out.
Something to read: Mezcal & Mangoes by Beth O’Brien
Something to listen to: Dinner’s On Me - a new podcast from Jesse Tyler. I am a big fan of Modern Family, food, restaurants, good hospitality and unpretentious podcasts so when I saw that Jesse launched a podcast and invited his friend and colleagues from Modern Family, I was hooked. Episodes are easy to listen to but sadly, don’t cover food that much. Episode with Sarah Hyland made me crave a spicy margarita at 7:45am so beware
I can’t wait to see your rose water adventures, let me know what you’ll be making next!
Anya xx
Coming up next week: my recreation of The Palomar meal for Appetite Extra and Fish Sauce for Sunday’s deep dive