# Rose Flower Water?



## skylightsky (May 26, 2006)

Hello,

New hear. Have a question, and hope I have placed this in the correct forum.

I acquired a bottle of Rose Flower Water. It is a blue bottle with attached label having photo of flowers upon it. (Am sure this is a commonly sold form.)

Anyway, I tasted it. Tasted like plain ole' water to me. I freely admit I cannot distinguish fine differenciations in taste. However, I was wondering if in a cake recipe, (say one which calls for 1 1/4 cup water, I replaced 1/4 with rose water?) would this change the taste dramatically? Will rose water act upon the ingredients and change their chemical behavior in some way?

I seriously doubt it, but wanted to ask anyway.


Making a White Cake with White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache 

Thought 1/4 of the water used in the cake recipe would be replaced with Rose Water. 

What do you think?


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

Ooh, lucky you. I believe rose water (and orange water etc) were used for cooking in times gone by. These days, I think it's found in Indian food. I had some Indian candy the other day that I think had rose water in it and it tasted lovely. I have a feeling the raspberry flavor will overpower ithe rosewater though.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Hi, sky! Welcome to ChefTalk!

Your bottle of rose water might not taste like much, but step back and take a whiff of it. Makes you think of perfume or gardens or cold cream, right?

Rose water is used a lot in Middle Eastern and South Asian sweets and desserts. It's used more as you would use vanilla or some other extract, rather than like regular plain water. It adds _aroma_ more than it adds flavor, and it's actually very concentrated.

So instead of using it to replace water, try using it instead of the vanilla in the cake (if there is any). But before you do, check with the other people who might eat it -- some folks (and I'm one of them) don't like the aroma of rose water in food.


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## goldendawn7 (May 27, 2006)

another Great use for rose water is in cocktails. Add a little to a margarita and enjoy a really unique drink.


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## crazytatt (Mar 5, 2006)

if it IS rose water, you WILL know it. It makes GREAT sorbets, and does wonderfully with ANYTHING sweet. If you can't taste in in essence, take something to clear the sinuses, cause you are in for a good treat.


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## lamington (May 2, 2003)

Rosewater also features in Greek biscuit (cookie) and cake making at times -- probably reflecting historical influences from the Middle East. Just be careful with it if you don't know your audience... i know depressingly many people who find rose-scented food revolting Probably bad memories of bathsoaps


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## quinn01 (Apr 22, 2006)

This ingredient is used in baking only. I have used it a few times but like you said, its just like water. I think its got a different smell to it. We dont use it often but when we do its in baking.


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## castironchef (Oct 10, 2005)

Not really true. It's used in Indian cookery to add a perfumey (sp?) note to some dishes. Plus, it's used in mixology.


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## quinn01 (Apr 22, 2006)

:lol: Shut Up. :lol:


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## aurora (Jan 25, 2006)

I had lunch yesterday at an Afgan restaurant and they had a Rose Water rice pudding that was absolutely delightful. From what I could tell they just added rose water to a regular rice pudding, but the taste was enhanced greatly.


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## chefhope (May 30, 2006)

yes rose water is used for desserts and it is usaly used to finish it


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## fluver (Feb 16, 2009)

Hey rose water is used for desserts I suppose its only for essence and may be for taste

Lisa

fluver


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

Sprinke some on rasgulla, if you ever decide to try making that.

It's something not familiar like vanilla, but can be as addicting.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Sorry to disagree with you but it is used quite a bit in cooking beside baking, many Iranian dishes use it specially in stews. Also Indian and med reigon cooking.:chef:


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## rpmcmurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

it's used (I don't know if it was TRADITIONALLY, but it is now...) frequently in Cocktails as well. 

Again, usually for the nose, as most people mentioned. a glass rinse, or a float of it. 

I'm working on inventing a Chartreuse and rose water heavy cocktail and calling it "My Grandma's Dresser"


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Has anyone compared making rose water from petals to preparing it with the rose hips?

thanks,
dan


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I think that's why i can't stand it, it smells like someone's dresser - or someone's cold cream. not really my idea of what to eat. But of course, some people love it. I don't tend to like perfumey smells even in perfumes, and would much prefer to use clove essence as perfume than flowers. So i guess you can't judge by me.


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## elchivito (Jan 25, 2009)

Alton Brown rigged up a stove top still to make rose water in his Baklava episode.


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## rpmcmurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

How about campari or aperol?


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

you can use it in syrups for middle eastern/greek and indian cooking


u can flavor puerto rican tembleque with it (coconut custard)

u could flavor any light flan with it (oro range blossom water)


u can use it in a jamaican or west indian plantain tart/tartlet or plantain pastry with a hinto f nutmeg and vanilla... or just the rose water


make a pastry crust 


mash up cooked sweet (ripe) plantains and simmer with sugar and a lil water

after simmering until cooked and reduced to a filling consistency u like, u can lfavor with a little nutmeg and the rosewater


taste it so it is how u like

and then make 6 inch round circles with the pastry and put the filling in to enclose and foarm half circle little pies....


seal with water and pinch the edges

brush with egg wash


and bake till golden brown

i think 350 or 400 degree oven and im not surew o fthe time

the filling is already cooekd so u are just cooking the dough!


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Sorry, RPMM, I'm not a liqueur drinker or aperitivo drinker, and i don;t believe I've ever tried either campari OR aperol. (i know. it may be strange but it's true.) They always put rosolio in deserts here, and i can;t stand it and so i rarely go for italian deserts - after tasting it once i made sure never to get any desert with pink liqueur.
I even hate herbal teas and flavored teas. Heck, I don't even like rose-scented hand cream. The only place i like the scent of roses is on roses. 
I pretty much like most foods, but flowery perfumes are not among them. 

Tastes are funny, especially the ones we can;t stand. I'm pretty good about almost anything, but flowery smells and cilantro are two i can't stand, making it very difficult to go to indian or mexican restaurants, though i like those foods otherwise. 

Didn't somebody start a thread once on tastes we can't stand?


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