Share:
Rose water effect, application and benefits
Rose water is perfumed water mixed with rose petals. It is well known for its pleasant smell, which Persian cuisine uses to give food a special scent and distinctive taste - especially rice. In Iranian sweets like halva or baklava it is inseparable.
In addition, rose water contains many good natural substances such as vitamins A and C, and it contains antioxidants that help revive tired skin and give it a shiny consistency; so some famous beauty brands use rosewater in their pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Muslims use it pure as a perfume. The health blessing of rose water is not limited to skin or hair care. It has a lot of other health benefits, such as reducing stress and relieving depression.
contents
- Rose water in Egypt
- The Persian rose
- Avicennas Destilierie
- The damask rose
- The rose of the Sassanids
- Rose taxes
- rose wine
- fragrance
- Fragrance of the gods
- Recipe of rose water in Kashan
- Traditional rose water production
- Health benefits
- vitamin C
- flickering
- Remedy for acne
- hair care
- The Rose of the Kings
- History and myths
- mass production
- Antioxidants against demons
- Rose water in food
- The centers of rose water
Rose water in Egypt
Already 3500 v.u.Z. The Egyptians extracted flower essences by distilling. The application of the Egyptian rose, which was famous for the intense scent of its flowers, is well documented. The Egyptians also used roses for aromatherapy and knew their effect against infections. The people of ancient Egypt were not only pioneers of systematic medicine, they knew as well about hygiene and beauty care.
Even in ancient Egypt, roses were used as a remedy and for beauty care. (Image: Marina Lohrbach / fotolia.com) Throughout the Egyptian kingdom, natural substances were used to repel insects as well as perfume. They even had a god of beautiful fragrances called Nefertum and believed that the scent of the rose was sacred - so they sprinkled roses in burial chambers.
The Egyptians were masters at producing exquisite scents from plants, and their perfumes became the most expensive in the ancient world. They usually filled the essences in elaborate bottles, using cedar, cinnamon and rose petals as raw materials. Face creams and other cosmetics typically contained rosewater, saffron and aloe vera.
The fragrances of rare and expensive ingredients used only the upper class, but people from all classes used aromatic oils to protect themselves from the heat of North Africa. Beauty was a central value in ancient Egypt, regardless of wealth or status - bottles of perfume were among the wages of the working classes.
Cleopatra is said to have covered every square in her palace with roses, especially her luxurious bedroom. Plutarch described her as beautiful as she was vain in her beauty. She used various substances to smooth her skin and emphasize her charisma. Since the rose had a divine status and rose water was found throughout the empire, it is very likely that she massaged it into her skin.
The Persian rose
This miracle product brought to us by nature is made in different countries, but became famous in late antiquity Iran. Here, in ancient Persia, the season is enough to pick the rose petals and make rose water from them, from early May to mid-June. In early May, the scent of roses envelops Kashan, Qamsar as well as Barzak or Niasar. Here are the centers of rose water production.
Kashan is one of the most famous cities in Iran producing the water. Everywhere there are shops here with ampoules full of rose water, dried rose petals and roses flavored dishes. A hallmark of these stores is the large copper tub for distilling.
Distilling the flowers has an origin in ancient Persia of the Sassanid period (2nd-6th century AD). For hundreds of years, the Persians refined the process of seasoning sweets with roses and traded rose products on the Silk Road, which continued from Merw in present-day Afghanistan through Gorgan, Ray and Tabriz in present-day Iran to Baghdad and the Bosphorus.
The essential water of the rose is a by-product of the distillation of rose petals. (Image: steba / fotolia.com) For example, Persian rose water spread in present-day Turkey, Syria and southern Arabia, and in the east in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. From the eastern Mediterranean, it passed through the Italian city-states to Central Europe. There, pharmacists sold at high prices as a luxury product.
Avicennas Destilierie
The Persian physician Abu Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, invented the distilling of rose petals with the help of steam. The use of steam in distilling made rose perfumes much cheaper than before. The main product of these distilleries was and is rose oil, rose water a coveted by-product, for example, to give desserts such as baklava the aroma.
The process developed by Avicenna made it possible to produce rose oil and water in greater quantities than before for the European market.
The damask rose
The "Rose of Damascus" flourishes not only in Syria, but is also widespread in Iran, especially in the provinces of Fars, Kerman, Isfahan and East and West Azarbaijan. Today, many other countries produce this "queen of roses": besides Iran, Turkey and Bulgaria, India, Ukraine, the USA, Canada, France, Great Britain and Japan. Pioneers were Iran, Turkey, India and Bulgaria.
The rose of the Sassanids
The name Rosa Damascena leads astray. Originally, this rose was discovered and cultivated in the Sasanian Empire in Persia, as one of many flowers that the then Persians brought to the gardens by breeding. Damascus was never part of the Persian Empire, nor was the rose domesticated here.
How she got her name is in the dark. Damascus, like the important medieval trading cities of Venice, Genoa and Palermo, is located in the Mediterranean, while the possible areas of origin of the "Rose of Damascus" had very little direct contact with Europe: the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran or the Persian Gulf region. But if the rose petals, rose oil and rose water came from there via Damascus to Europe, it would be logical for the Europeans to call them "Rose of Damascus".
Damascus roses have been cultivated since ancient times and used for the production of rose water. (Image: kirchbach.st./fotolia.com) Today there is the Rosa damascena in six cultivated forms, R.d.f. trigintipetala, R.d.f. versicolor, R.d.var. Bifera, R.d.var.semperflorens, R.d.var.subalba, R.d.var.typica.
The ancient Persians called roses "Giul" in capital letters, and the rose was a symbol of Persia, adorning the shields of the warriors. Guests sprinkled the hosts with the flower's ethereal water to welcome them, and this ritual has lasted to this day.
Rose taxes
Rose water added the old Persians with cinnamon and sugar and added it to many delicacies. When the province of Faristan belonged to the Islamic caliphate with the metropolis of Baghdad, it paid annual taxes in the form of 30,000 bottles of rose water. In Baghdad's golden age, from the 8th to the 13th century CE. The local mosque builders mixed rose water and musk into the mortar. When the midday sun heated the mosque walls, there was an incredible fragrance in the air. In the Middle Ages Persia exported the essential water to China, Yemen, Egypt and Spain.
rose wine
The ancient Romans gave their wine rose water aroma and were the first to classify their natural healing powers for more than 30 treatments. It has been a substance in medicines for many ancient cultures around the world.
fragrance
In Europe's Middle Ages, Rose's essential oil served to cleanse the hands before eating, and doctors around the world used it to strengthen the organs and protect the heart. In Persia, the rose was a symbol of beauty, and its water was a popular gift. In India, women splashed it on their faces to smell good and to keep the skin supple.
Fragrance of the gods
The ancient Egyptians used a lot of rose oil for their religious ceremonies - even for mummification. We know that through traces of the flower found in Egyptian burial chambers. Cleopatra slept on a pillow full of rose petals and bathed in rose water. Her amorous conquests encouraged her with aromatic essences that contained rose. She is said to have ensnared Mark Aurel by rubbing the sails of her ship with rose oil and covering her room with a thick carpet of rose petals.
In ancient Rome, the flower was an attribute of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. In the legend, the rose was red because Venus was bleeding after she stepped into a thorn.
According to legend, the rose was colored red by the blood of the goddess of love Venus. (Image: iaroshenko / fotolia.com) Recipe of rose water in Kashan
In Iran, there are several recipes for rose water, and most of them guard their manufacturers like their eyeballs. The basic recipe in Ghamsar, meanwhile, is known to the public.
The equipment to extract rose water has barely changed here over the centuries. This includes:
1.) A copper pot with a volume of about 150 liters.
2.) A big clay pot. The advantage of the clay pot is that it does not kill the taste of the rose.
3) A smaller copper pot with a capacity of 30 to 40 liters. This is kept in cold water.
5.) Four wooden tubes, which are linked together to connect the large and the small pot - today usually aluminum tubes meet this purpose.
6.) A pool of water
7.) A hearth under the copper pot, which is usually heated with oil or diesel. In the past, firewood and coal were used.
Traditional rose water production
First, the large copper pot comes on an oven made of bricks and cement or clay. Below him, the fire is kindled. Then 30 kg of rose petals are thrown into the pot and 80 liters of water are added. The pot is now covered and a heavy weight controls the vapor pressure. Possible holes and cracks are stuffed - usually with the remnants of previously boiled flowers or bread.
The cooled smaller copper pot is brought into the water and held in place with a ladder, meanwhile iron pipes mostly replace the ladder. This serves to prevent it from sticking out of the water surface. The aluminum tubes are now placed on one side in the large, on the other side in the small pot.
Now everything is prepared, and the stove heats up the water. Rose water and steam are rushing into the pipes. The rose water vapor moves into the smaller pot and becomes liquid due to the lower temperature prevailing there. It takes about four hours for a pot of about 40 liters to fill with rosewater. Before it is bottled, it cools down further.
The essential water of the rose is ideal for natural skin care. (Image: detailblick-foto / fotolia.com) Health benefits
Rose water promotes the skin in many ways: it has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, especially inflammatory reactions to cosmetics and regenerates the skin - so it is ideally suited to prevent dark circles and sagging skin. It helps against brown facial spots, wrinkles and stretch marks. It also smoothes the skin.
It also relieves certain headaches. To do this, we put rose water on a cotton pad and place it on the affected area (especially the temple and forehead).
vitamin C
Rose water contains vitamin C and thus prevents the aging of the skin. We can add it to drinks and add antioxidants and vitamins A, D, E and B3. Due to its high vitamin content, it is also excellent against colds.
The cooked rose petals traditionally use the Iranians against depression, insomnia, common and bloody diarrhea as well as against various inflammatory diseases.
flickering
Eyelashes can also be relieved with the ethereal water of the rose. Responsible for this effect are the anti-infective properties. To soak a piece of cotton with rose water and keep it for a few minutes against the affected eye.
Remedy for acne
Rose water relieves redness and dermatitis. Swollen infectious pimples heal quickly by the ethereal water at the appropriate place. In Iran, a mixture of sandalwood, lemon juice and rose water is a home remedy for acne scars.
In hair care products rose water provides for the care of the scalp and strengthening the hair roots. (Image: Anna_ok / fotolia.com) hair care
Hair care products also contain rosewater as a key ingredient. It foams well and nourishes the hair and scalp. It strengthens the hair roots, promotes hair growth and regenerates hair by promoting blood flow to the hair roots. In addition, if it is not washed out, it keeps the hair roots cool, preventing hair root inflammation. Iranians think that it also prevents hair loss.
The rose scent is intended to reduce feelings of anxiety such as stress and thus provide relaxation and relieve insomnia. The antiseptic qualities of rose water are suitable for treating insect bites. All you have to do is dip a cotton ball into it and place it on the affected skin.
The Rose of the Kings
Whether the ancient Egyptians or the ancient Persians produced rose water first is unclear. But it is clear that the Romans learned from these two cultures the production of rose water.
History and myths
The Persian Empire was around 810 BC. the largest center for the production of rose water and sold it in large quantities to the Middle East and China. The Persian king Darius the Great, who founded the Persian Empire from 521 to 448 BC. ruled on reliefs in Persepolis is surrounded by roses and presented with two bottles (full of rose water?) in front of him. Iranian poets of that time praised the perfume water. The mythological Iranian King Jamshid, said to have drawn sweet-smelling flowers and collected on his travels.
mass production
When rose water was produced in quantities, it spread throughout Persia. The ancient contemporaries preferred the subtly fragrant water to the smell of highly concentrated perfumes. Already in ancient times, the Iranians recognized that rose water had practical benefits in addition to its good scent.
Aromatherapy practitioners in Persia applied rose oil and water to damaged skin and prescribed treatments with rose water to treat the skin like beauty.
Antioxidants against demons
The people then believed that demons cause disease, and the rose was considered a plant of the gods to fight these evil spirits. Rosenwasser really helped against diseases and injuries.
In Arab countries, Turkey and Iran, many traditional sweets and desserts are refined with rosewater. (Image: velveteye / fotolia.com) Rose water in food
Rose water gives certain types of marzipan that special something, except that Iranians and Indians use it today mainly Arabs and Frenchmen to refine food. In India, the yoghurt drink with rose water is called gulabi lassi. Turks flavor a sweet with rose water and eat it especially in Ramadan; her name is Güllac.
Arabs drink instead of champagne a cocktail of rose water, fresh orange and pomegranate juice. Apple juice also tastes delicious if we add rosewater to it.
The centers of rose water
The largest producer of rose water in the Middle East is Qamsar in Iran, in Arabia Jabal al-Achdar leads in Oman and Kasarnaba in Lebanon. The Bulgarian Rosental is the largest center for rose water in Europe, and Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh is home to the Indian center. In the Maghreb El-Kelaa M'Gouna is in front in Morocco. (Somayeh Khaleseh Ranjbar, supplemented by Dr. Utz Anhalt)
References:
http://www.eattheglobe.com/story/making-rosewater-in-iran-909
https://www.cilkrosewater.com/blogs/journal/the-health-benefits-of-rose-water
http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Festival_of_Rose_and_Rose_Water.htm
http://www.sunsigns.org/10-health-benefits-of-rose-water/
https://www.imbuegoods.com/pages/rose-water-worlds-oldest-beauty-secret