Ah, roses. They're the flower of romance, encompassing all the danger and velvet pillows involved therein. Red roses have been recognized around the world as symbols of particularly classy love. They can also state one's political position in Europe, but roses are mostly about love. Go get some for your significant other on Valentine's Day, if you celebrate it.
Oh, and they're also a popular flavoring. Knew I was forgetting something.
They Actually Eat That?!
Eating roses is nothing new. For a long time, rose hips were considered an anti-magic potion in Rome. The protagonist in Apuleius's novel The Golden Ass is required to eat some roses to leave his donkey form. This stems from an actual belief the Romans had about roses being used to ward off black magic, from evil eye glances to vampires. Eating them was a good way to keep one from being an ass.
The practice of eating roses survives today. That was not an innuendo. Rose-water is very common in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be used for medicine - roses contain Vitamin C, making them one of the few legit Chinese medicines out there - or just for flavoring. Interestingly, there is no mention of roses being used as an aphrodisiac (again, unlike the rest of Chinese medicine).
Europeans and Americans use roses in cuisine, too. Rose syrup is a popular flavoring in France, considered one of the strongholds of Western cuisine. The same syrup is used to make rose marshmallows and scones in the U.S. The authoress has also personally tasted rose ice cream. Seek and ye shall find - chances are there's some lovely rose food near you!
Oh, and they're also a popular flavoring. Knew I was forgetting something.
They Actually Eat That?!
Eating roses is nothing new. For a long time, rose hips were considered an anti-magic potion in Rome. The protagonist in Apuleius's novel The Golden Ass is required to eat some roses to leave his donkey form. This stems from an actual belief the Romans had about roses being used to ward off black magic, from evil eye glances to vampires. Eating them was a good way to keep one from being an ass.
 |
| Although being a donkey did get one chicks. |
The practice of eating roses survives today. That was not an innuendo. Rose-water is very common in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be used for medicine - roses contain Vitamin C, making them one of the few legit Chinese medicines out there - or just for flavoring. Interestingly, there is no mention of roses being used as an aphrodisiac (again, unlike the rest of Chinese medicine).
 |
| Rose Turkish delight. Exactly what it sounds like. |
Europeans and Americans use roses in cuisine, too. Rose syrup is a popular flavoring in France, considered one of the strongholds of Western cuisine. The same syrup is used to make rose marshmallows and scones in the U.S. The authoress has also personally tasted rose ice cream. Seek and ye shall find - chances are there's some lovely rose food near you!
If you'd like, please check out Specialty Foods Creator "Woodland Fairy Acres" (http://www.woodlandfairyacres.com). They have a line of Rose-flavored floral scone mixes and a Victorian Rose marshmallow mix, too! They're absolutely wonderful - and yes, edible!
ReplyDelete