Let me ask you something: do you know what happens when you mix rose petals and water?

Well, like anything, of course it depends on the circumstances.

All kinds of magic can occur.

One of the possible magical items that can be produced from the mixture is an elixir known as rose water.

I have always been a fan of Aqua distillate alle Rose created by Manetti/Roberts in Florence since, as the label tells us, 1867.  I buy bottles of the stuff whenever I see it. I love the cobalt blue bottles. They make nice lotions as well.  I used my bottle of rose water to flavor a cake recently.

But, the Florentines were not the first to make rose water.  Oh no, far from it.

As Wikipedia explains:

• Rose water is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume. It is used to flavour food, as a component in some cosmetic and medical preparations, and for religious purposes throughout Europe and Asia. Rose syrup is made from rose water, with sugar added.

Incidentally, Wikipedia is celebrating its 15th birthday.  Three cheers to this organization.  I consult Wikipedia almost daily.  I can’t imagine life without it or the internet.  So happy to be alive in the 21st century!

So, to celebrate Wiki’s bday, let me continue to quote its erudition on today’s subject of water enhanced by roses:

• Origin
  The cultivation of various fragrant flowers for obtaining perfumes including rose water may date back to Sassanid Persia.[1] Locally it was known as golāb in Middle Persian, and as zoulápin in Byzantine Greek.[2]
• The modern mass production of rose water through steam distillation was refined by Persian chemist Avicenna in the medieval Islamic world which lead to more efficient and economic uses for perfumery industries.[3] This allowed for more efficient and lucrative trade.
• Since ancient times, roses have been used medicinally, nutritionally, and as a source of perfume. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians considered large public rose gardens to be as important as croplands such as orchards and wheat fields.[4]
• Rose perfumes are made from rose oil, also called attar of roses, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam-distilling the crushed petals of roses, a process first developed in Iran (Persia). Rose water is a by-product of this process.[5]

 

And, furthermore, Wiki tells us:

• Uses[edit]
  Edible[edit]
  Rose water has a very distinctive flavour and is used heavily in Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine—especially in sweets such as nougat, gumdrops, raahat and baklava. For example, rose water is used to give some types of Turkish delight their distinctive flavours.
• The Cypriot version of mahalebi uses rosewater.[6][unreliable source?] In Iran, it is also added to tea, ice cream, cookies and other sweets in small quantities, and in the Arab world, Pakistan and India it is used to flavour milk and dairy-based dishes such as rice pudding. It is also a key ingredient in sweet lassi, a drink made from yogurt, sugar and various fruit juices, and is also used to make jallab. In Malaysia and Singapore, sweet red-tinted rose water is mixed with milk, which then turns pink to make a sweet drink called bandung. Rose water is frequently used as a halal substitute for red wine and other alcohols in cooking; the Premier League offer a rose water-based beverage as an alternative for champagne when rewarding Muslim players.[7]
• Marzipan has long been flavoured with rose water. Marzipan originated in the Middle East and arrived in Western Europe by the Middle Ages; it continues to be served as a postprandial snack.[8] Rose water was also used to make Waverly Jumbles. American and European bakers enjoyed the floral flavouring of rose water in their baking until the 19th century when vanilla flavouring became popular.
• In parts of the Middle East, rose water is commonly added to lemonade or milk.

 

To end Wikipedia’s article on rose water, I quote:

• Cosmetic and medicinal use[edit]
  Rose water is a usual component of perfume. A rose water ointment is occasionally used as an emollient, and rose water is sometimes used in cosmetics such as cold creams.
• Medicinal use-Ayurveda: In India, rose water is used as eye drops to clear them. Some people in India also use rose water as spray applied directly to the face for natural fragrance and moisturizer, especially during winters. It is also used in Indian sweets and other food preparations (particularly gulab jamun). Rose water is often sprinkled in Indian weddings to welcome guests.
• Religious uses[edit]
  Rose water is used as a perfume in religious ceremonies (Muslim, Hindu and Zoroastrian). Water used to clean the Kaaba, the Qibla for Muslims located in Mecca, combines Zamzam water with rose water as an additive. In the Indian subcontinent during Muslim burials, rose water is often sprinkled in the dug grave before placing the body inside. Rose water is used in some Hindu rituals as well. Rose water also figures in Christianity, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church.[9]

 

For the intrepid blog reader, here’s a wonderful article (courtesy of the references section in the Wikipedia post) on the production of rose water in Oman:

Click to access JebelAkhdarRosesbyTonyWalshforOmanToday.pdf