Rose

No rose could ever rue
The exquisite embroidery
Of sparkling drops of dew.
                                           Riumin

Roses are dusk sisters.
They start blooming when sun is rising,
And, opening, they are laughing and crying … 

Roses—one of the most beautiful and praised flowers, have been valued for centuries in many cultures, and have been cultivated and hybridized worldwide. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 7 meters in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name rose comes from French, itself from Latin rosa, which was borrowed from Greek and old Persian from the beginning.

Rose absolute is the steam-extracted (or solvent-extracted) essential oil from rose flowers (mostly from Rosa damascene and Rosa centifolia) that has been used in perfumes and skin care for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

The French are known for their rose syrup, most commonly made from an extract of rose petals. Also tea made of rose petals is extremely delicious! I brew it for 5-10 minutes and drink in the morning without anything.

Rose hips (from Rosa canina) in country kitchens are traditionally used to make wine, vinegar, jams, syrup, and tea. They are also pressed and filtered to make rosehip syrup which is used as a nutritional supplement. Rose hips are also used to produce rosehip seed oil, which is used in skin products and some medicinal purpose. I drop the oil in my baby’s stuffed nose.

Unfortunately most of the hybrid roses bred for exotic colours lost their scent. The species R.damascena, centifolia, sempervirens and moschata known for aromatherapy use are grown in Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, France, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Iran and Crimea.

Flowers are hand-picked either in early morning or before the dusk and extracted the same day. Rose oil contains citronellol, phenyl ethyl alcohol, geraniol, nerol and stearopten waxes. 

Images: Olga Ikebanova, FotoDawg, Itineranttrader
 

Author: Olga Ikebanova