Making Rose Water

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Lesson Transcript

Culture Class: Holidays in Iran, Season 1, Lesson 19 - Making Rose Water

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Iran Series at PersianPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Iranian holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 19, Making Rose Water. In Persian, it’s called Golaab-giri.

You may already know that rosewater, one of the sweetest and most famous smelling products in the world, is produced in Iran. Rosewater is a natural essence obtained from roses and has a lot of uses and benefits.

In this lesson, you will learn that Mohammadi flowers, also called roses, are picked every spring in the Iranian city of Kashan, and that after being put through specific boiling and purifying processes, these flowers produce rosewater. These rosewater creation processes are known as Golaab-giri ceremonies.

Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question-

Which foods use rosewater in their production?

If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening.

As the name suggests, rosewater, or golaab in Persian, refers to water that is extracted from roses. It is the liquid obtained from a particular type of rose, the damask rose, which in Persian is called gol-e mohammadi. This flower is a hybrid of rose and damascena. Since this type of rose is quite abundant in Iran, and in the city of Kashan in particular, the country is regarded as a major rosewater production center. Also, because the liquid provides a number of benefits to health, or salaamati, it’s a popular product that is produced and consumed in large amounts. The benefits of rosewater include improving dry and sensitive skin, relieving fatigue, strengthening the heart, and curing headaches. Since olden days, rosewater has featured in religious and traditional ceremonies, and in ceremonies of mourning in particular, to create a sense of relief and relaxation.

The process of producing rosewater is referred to as the Golaab-giri ceremony. This name comes from the connection between rosewater and the human body and soul. In the past, a special container used for rosewater was taken during these ceremonies to the bank of a river, or roodkhaneh, and the recitation of religious prayers accompanied the ceremonies. Nowadays, in the middle of the spring—the peak of rosewater production—people usually go to rose gardens early in the morning or before sunrise, when flowers smell the most fresh, and collect flowers in large numbers.

The collected roses are then put in large copper containers along with a lot of water, or aab. Then, a heavy lid made of copper is placed on top, and the containers are heated in a special furnace. The steam from the boiling water and flowers is transferred through long, thin aluminum pipes called neycheh into large pitchers. Because the walls of the pitchers are cold, the steam then condenses, turning into rosewater liquid. It takes roughly four hours for the pitchers to fill up and for the process to be completed. The resulting rosewater is then poured into glass bottles and distributed to be sold. A large number of people from all over Iran come to Ghamsar in Kashan every spring to witness this ceremony.

Each year, at a particular time, Ka'ba, or the House of God, is washed with pure rosewater. This rosewater is only produced by Ghamsar local rosewater producers, who then send it to Saudi Arabia.

Now it's time to answer our quiz question-

Which foods use rosewater in their production?

Rosewater can be incorporated into most foods and desserts for people who like its taste or essence. Rosewater is an especially popular ingredient in jams, fruit juices, cakes, ice cream, and sweet Iranian foods.