These days it is not uncommon to see a recipe that calls for rose water or orange-blossom water. Although floral waters have just recently come into use in the United States, they have actually been around a very long time.
It is said that over 2000 years ago, Persia was exporting rose water as far as China. It is the custom in India to sprinkle rose water on guests arriving at weddings. Orange-blossom water has been flavoring sweets in Spain from the years of Moorish rule, approximately 700 to 1492. In Spain, orange plantations loaded with blossoms perfume the air all along the coastline, which stretches from close to the boundary with Catalonia nearly to Valencia.
Floral waters are used primarily in the cuisines of India, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Throughout Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, pastries, puddings and other sweets are scented with either rose or orange-blossom water.
Rose water is used in the recipe for Turkish Delight, one of the oldest known confections. Called “rahat loukoum” (“rest for the throat” in Turkish), this candy was the legendary sweet of the harem in the Middle East, eaten by women to keep themselves plump. In the Middle East, a mixture of boiling orange flower water and sugar, called white coffee, is often given to children before bedtime to relax and aid in digestion.
Used sparingly, floral waters can add a mysterious, subtle flavor to your sweets. A tablespoon of either rose water or orange-blossom water is enough in most recipes. Often, using more will make your food smell like bath soap or lotion. You can find both of these floral waters at specialty food shops such as Jay’s International Food Market on Grand or Global Food Market in Kirkwood.
You can also make rose water at home providing you use organic roses that are free from sprays and pesticides. I’ve included a couple of traditional Turkish recipes so you can get the true flavor of the floral water. I also found quite a range of recipes using rose water and orange-blossom water on the web site www.epicurious.com. Just type in the floral water you want to use in the recipe box and go to town. Wouldn’t it be fun on Valentine’s Day to tell your sweetie you made that special dessert out of rose water?
This article appears in March 2024.