Rose petals

Description

Rose petals are widely used in Iranian, South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, both in savoury and sweet dishes. Their flavour is popularly used in the Middle East to flavour sweet treats such as Turkish Delight and also savoury dishes such as meat tagines. Rose water can be extracted from the petals and is used in many dishes to add a subtle floral hint. Rose petals have also been incorporated into many English desserts, chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Nigella Lawson have incorporated rose petals into many traditional English dishes to add a new delicate twist. The dried petals are most commonly used as a garnish on desserts for their beautiful look and subtle rose scent. They can also be used to add another texture to a dish.

Culinary Notes

• Use to make Iranian sour stuffed quail, salads like mast-o-khiar (which includes yoghurt, cucumber and rose petals) and desserts such as cream puffs (known as nan-e khamehi).
• In Middle Eastern cuisine, use to prepare desserts such as baklava and basbousa.
• Use rose petals as a garnish and to flavour dishes like pulao (pilaf), roast chicken, lamb and beef. Also, use in desserts such as faluda, Bengali sandesh
• Use in various chilled drinks.

Health benefits:

Rose petals have many health benefits. They contain vitamin C. Also, they can be used to aid digestion and to calm pain caused from injuries.

Country of origin:

Mediterranean region

Other names or spelling: rose flowers