Rose Water

More about how other cultures use Rose Water

The Cypriot's mahalepi uses rose water. In Iran it is also added to tea, ice cream, cookies and other sweets in small quantities, and in the Arab world and India it is used to flavor milk and dairy-based dishes such as rice pudding. It is also a key ingredient in sweet lassi, a drink made from yoghurt, sugar and various fruit juices, and is also used to make jallab. In Malaysia and Singapore, rose water is mixed with milk, sugar and pink food coloring to make a sweet drink called bandung. Rose water is frequently used as a halal substitute for red wine and other alcohols in cooking.

In Western Europe, rose water (as well as orange flower water) is sometimes used to flavour both marzipan and madeleine, a petite scallop-shaped French sponge cake. Rose water was also used to make Waverly Jumbles, a type of cookie much favoured by the American President James Monroe. American and European bakers enjoyed the floral flavouring of rose water in their baking until the 19th century when vanilla flavouring became popular.

The French are known for their rose syrup, most commonly made from an extract of rose petals. In the United States, this French rose syrup is used to make rose scones and marshmallows.