Corti Brothers has just come across a special and unusual preserve made from Rose Petals. The idea of trying to capture the fine scent of aromatic roses has been around for a long time. Roses are fairly easy to grow and the highly scented rose, the Damascena, tells us something about its origin: Damascus.

We have just tasted a lovely example of Rose Petal Preserve made with three ingredients: rose petals, sugar and citric acid. Water, of course, to create the syrup. It is NOYAN ROSE PETAL preserve, from Armenia. The name Noyan is interesting since it is a word meaning “Lord” or Prince, essentially a central Asian word. 

It has a darkish pink color, with the obvious now pale rose petals in a medium thick syrup that is both tasty and scented. This rose preserve is not forcefully rose scented--balanced, yet not cloying, it would have some unusual uses, besides being used as a “spoon fruit.” Spoon fruits are an east of the Mediterranean sweet, fruit in syrup enjoyed for its own sake. They are often used as a welcome offering to guests upon arrival in a home. Our Noyan Rose petal preserve would be very much at home as the sweetener in a dark tea, rather than sugar; it would be delicious with some fresh cheeses, Stracciatella, burrata, fresh chevre, Mascarpone and others. You could use it as a breakfast treat. A spoonful in a glass with sparkling water will make a tasty and unusual “soft” drink.