Syrup of Dried Roses

Source: istock photo - Rosa Damascena/Damask Rose

Roses, such as Rosa Damascena, Rosa Gallica and Rosa Centifolia, have been mentioned since ancient texts, particularly in Middle Eastern texts, where roses have been used medicinally for an extended period.

The physician Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna, 11th Century) emphasised the beneficial effects of rose fragrance on the heart and the brain. He praised rose water’s effects on mind and spirit and its beneficial effects on brain function and cognitive power.

Ancient texts mention that rose is good for disorders of the brain and the heart. Several recent studies have provided scientific evidence for this information. These studies have focused on the Rosa Damascena and have shown that rose oil and rose water may have multiple benefits that are outlined by the medieval texts. The studies have shown that smelling rose oil and rose water brings happiness and self-confidence, improves memory functions, sexual performance and acts as an aphrodisiac, among other virtues.

All parts of the rose had different uses, and even the use of specific colours of roses were used for different remedies. We are focusing on rose petals in the syrup of dried roses.

 

Main Components/Ingredients

Rose petals – In the medieval period roses had many different uses in culinary and medicinal properties. There are many different types of uses that were used in period and there was one rose that was grown specifically for apothecaries – the Apothecary Rose.

Roses were ascribed with Dry and Cool properties, as pertaining to the Humoral Theories of Galen, Avicenna and Dioscorides. Dioscorides says that rose flowers cool and bind, but dried roses bind more. Sprinkled on the gums they stopped bleeding; made into a tea they stopped diarrhea and the spitting of blood. Pounded rose leaves made eye salves, while wine infused with roses was applied as a wash for headaches and troubles of the eyes, ears, gums, as well as rectum and vulva. Rose infused wine was also used as a compress to treat wounds and inflammation.

 Original Source

Syrup of Dried Roses

Take a ratl of dried roses, and cover with three ratls of just boiled water, for a night and leave it until they fall apart in the water. Press it and filter it and take the clear part and add it to two ratls of white sugar and cook all this until it is in the form of a syrup.

Drink an ûqiya and a half with three of water.

Its benefits: it binds the constitution, and benefits at the start of dropsy, fortifies the other internal organs, and provokes the appetite. God willing.

~ The Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook, 13th Century

Ratl; 468g/1lb
ûqiya: 39g/7 tsp

 

Redaction 1 (November 2024, to exact measures in recipe)

Take 468g of dried roses and cover with 2.5L of water and bring to the boil. Turn off water just as it boils and leave for 24 hrs, covered. After 24 hours, filter the water from the petals and strain the petals to get the last of the water from them. Filter again to remove any extra petals, place water back into a pot on the stove. 

Add 936g of white sugar to the rose-infused water and cook all this until it is in the form of a liquid. (makes approx 2L).

To drink: add 3.5 tablespoons to 7 tablespoons of hot water.
(Use in 7-10 days, not preserved).

Redaction 2 (April 2025, reduced measures)

Take 100g of dried rose petals and cover with 1500 mls of water and place in a pot. Bring to the boil while mixing to ensure that all the petals are covered. Turn off the heat and cover and leave for 24 hours. 

After 24 hours, filter the water, press and squeeze the liquid from the petals, this should get you around 1L of fluid. Filter again to ensure that no rose petal fragments remain in the water.

Take 1kg of white sugar and 1 cup of water and dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Add the rose infused water and bring to the boil, ensuring that all the sugar is dissolved (even scraping the side of the pot).

Boil for 15-20 minutes or until desired consistency. Remove from heat and bottle.

Makes around 1L of rose syrup and use with 7-10 days/ 

Changes Made:

I originally made this to the exact weight of the rose petals, except I was not expecting that 500g of dried rose petals was about the size of a small couch cushion and that I may not have a pot big enough to soak the petals in. Luckily I found my giant stock pot and carefully filled it to capacity. Hence why the second redaction is using a much smaller amount of rose petals. 

Notes:

Notes on the original source:

The version of the Anonymous Andalusian used is an English translation of the text by Charles Perry, working from the original Arabic, a printed copy of the Arabic and its translation into Spanish, and assisted by an English translation by various persons translating collaboratively the text from Spanish to English.

Originally, the book was compiled by a scribe in the 1400s and includes recipes that are copied from older works that go back until the 1200s.

The book’s title was orginially: Kitab al tabij fi-l-Maghrib wa-l-Andalus fi `asr al-Muwahhidin, li-mu'allif mayhul (or majhul).

Meaning:

The Book of Cooking in Maghreb and Andalus in the era of Almohads, by an unknown author.

It is commonly known in English today as: The Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook.

References

Coke, Thomasina, (2019), Rose Syrup https://thomasinacoke.wordpress.com/2019/01/ Rose Syrup

Culpepper, N. (1653), Complete Herbal & English Physician, Applewood Books, Bedford, MA

Gunther, R. T., trans. 1959. Greek Herbal of Dioscorides. Hafner, New York.

Manuscrito Anonimo (13th c. Andalusian.) An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the Thirteenth Century, a translation by Charles Perry of the Arabic edition of Ambrosio Huici Miranda with the assistance of an English translation by Elise Fleming, Stephen Bloch, Habib ibn al-Andalusi and Janet Hinson of the Spanish translation by Ambrosio Huici Miranda, published in full in the 5th edition of volume II of the cookbook collection.

Measuring the Medieval Islamic Economy, Western Social Science,  Weights and Measures, Various Sources, https://medievalislamiceconomy.uwo.ca/measures/Weights-Measures-Various-Sources.xlsx

Nostradamus, M., & Boeser, K. (1552/1572 & 1996), The Elixirs of Nostradamus - Nostradamus’ original recipes for elixirs, scented water, beauty potions and sweetmeats, Moyer Bell

Touw, M. (1982), Roses in the Middle Ages, Economic Botany, Vol 6, No 1., pp 71-83

Hüsnü Can Başer, K. (2017), Rose Mentioned in the Works of Scientists of the Medieval East and Implication in Modern Science, Natural Product Communications, Vol. 12, No 8., pp 1327-1330