To me, the very idea of a rose tea is slightly strange, and yet I really don’t have any good reasons for why that should be so. I don’t eat rose petals, therefore I shouldn’t be drinking them in liquid form, perhaps? Even that reason doesn’t hold up, ultimately; some of my favorite black teas are my favorites because they remind me of hay in a hot barn. It isn’t as though I’ve ever sat down to have a big heaping helping of alfalfa.
Anyway, the scent is delightfully, definitely ‘rose’. That does not change over the course of the brewing. It still struck me as strange. Like…sipping on potpourri or those little sachets of dried roses that mothers and grandmothers seem to like tucking away in various drawers of clothing, irrevoccably tying the scent of dried rose petals to the little private and forgotten places within spaces belonging to the older women in my life. (And this is not wholly true; I think my mother has preferred lavender and cedar over time, but I smell the aroma of roses emanating from this cup and my memory still jingles to the tune of sachets and drawers).
I suppose I had forgotten about Turkish delight. One sip and I remember; that beautiful pink jelly that I seem to only ever eat dressed in chocolate, wrapped in shiny pink wrappers and made by Fry’s (though I can’t for the life of me remember ever eating anything else made by that company). The quality of the rose flavor is approximate, occasionally providing a flash of something sweet on the parting of the sip. I have a very minor astringency in the back of my throat, but it’s pretty mild.
Definitely not a tea that I see myself craving, but I wouldn’t send it back to the kitchen, either. If rose tickles your fancy or you happen to be a rabid fan of Turkish delight, I suppose this might be right up your alley.
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
I actually have done a lot of cooking with rose water, I love the flavor it can add…. :) Might like this tea too!
I like to use rosewater all the time, it’s a real favourite. I also like to pick rose petals and float them in this tea when I serve it. Also, you can wash the petals, roll them about in icing sugar, dry in the oven, cool and then attach one petal to the top of a shortbread biscuit with a dab of icing. I make that for high teas.
Ah, second reference to Turkish delight in one day. I had never heard of it before, so I wikipedia’d it as well. I don’t know where I’m supposed to get some to try…
Any greek, turkish or middle eastern deli should have it. Most supermatket delis have it here (Australia)
…my mum used lavender.
I wrote a review of Harrod’s rose tea. Maybe you want to check that out and compare it with what your impressions were…I felt quite strange in the beginning too…but, oh boy…once you drink it…!!!
@wombatgirl: I’m guessing this is perfect for you, then. Cooking with rose tea isn’t something I’d considered.
@Robert: That sounds absolutely gorgeous! If wombatgirl’s comment hadn’t made me curious about using this stuff for cooking, this certainly would’ve done the trick.
@Shanti: Strangely, I think the first place that I ever recall hearing about Turkish delight was…in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It’s what the queen feeds the one brother to bribe him over to the dark side, and now I suppose I can see why it worked.
@Keemun: I really enjoy Turkish delight, so I suspect the strangeness is really a mental bias more than anything. I did finish my cup! I read your review and laughed a little…I tried to avoid using the phrase ‘grandma tea’ in mine, but that’s definitely part of the block, I think…liquid-grandmother-memory, so strange! I’d be curious to try Harrod’s, it sounds more subtle and maybe more to my tastes? Then again, I’d probably be curious to try this one iced, too.
…with a pastry topped off with a blip of icing and a sugar-dusted rose petal!
I actually have done a lot of cooking with rose water, I love the flavor it can add…. :) Might like this tea too!
I like to use rosewater all the time, it’s a real favourite. I also like to pick rose petals and float them in this tea when I serve it. Also, you can wash the petals, roll them about in icing sugar, dry in the oven, cool and then attach one petal to the top of a shortbread biscuit with a dab of icing. I make that for high teas.
Ah, second reference to Turkish delight in one day. I had never heard of it before, so I wikipedia’d it as well. I don’t know where I’m supposed to get some to try…
Any greek, turkish or middle eastern deli should have it. Most supermatket delis have it here (Australia)
…my mum used lavender.
I wrote a review of Harrod’s rose tea. Maybe you want to check that out and compare it with what your impressions were…I felt quite strange in the beginning too…but, oh boy…once you drink it…!!!
@wombatgirl: I’m guessing this is perfect for you, then. Cooking with rose tea isn’t something I’d considered.
@Robert: That sounds absolutely gorgeous! If wombatgirl’s comment hadn’t made me curious about using this stuff for cooking, this certainly would’ve done the trick.
@Shanti: Strangely, I think the first place that I ever recall hearing about Turkish delight was…in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It’s what the queen feeds the one brother to bribe him over to the dark side, and now I suppose I can see why it worked.
@Keemun: I really enjoy Turkish delight, so I suspect the strangeness is really a mental bias more than anything. I did finish my cup! I read your review and laughed a little…I tried to avoid using the phrase ‘grandma tea’ in mine, but that’s definitely part of the block, I think…liquid-grandmother-memory, so strange! I’d be curious to try Harrod’s, it sounds more subtle and maybe more to my tastes? Then again, I’d probably be curious to try this one iced, too.
…with a pastry topped off with a blip of icing and a sugar-dusted rose petal!