One of the most beautiful and memorable desserts I ever had was a tiny scoop of rose flavored ice cream nestled in the heart of a perfect, pale pink rose. It was presented simply, with no cookie or cake to steal the limelight. There were hundreds of guests at the event, and yet every petal was perfect and the ice cream was seemingly suspended in that fleeting, meltingly-spoonable-but-still-firm stage. To pull off such an ambitious feat was a staggering achievment for the restaurant staff. I can’t remember exactly where or when it happened, but I’ll never forget the night we ate roses..
Rose and lemon were the most common flavors in the Old World until the discovery of the Americas introduced vanilla and chocolate. If you’ve ever eaten Turkish delight, you’ve tasted roses.
This article by Judy Walker from the Times Picayune features rose-flavored and rose-scented drinks and desserts and gorgeous photos. It even has directions for making your own rose powder from pesticide-free rose petals. It may inspire you to create a rose-themed Valentine’s Day repast, but in any case, it provides a feast for the senses. Enjoy.
http://blog.nola.com/judywalker/2009/02/the_flavor_of_flowers_1/print.ht
Photo from http://www.freenaturepictures.com/
(C)2009, Judy Barnes Baker
Ummm WOW! Just the way you described that makes me want to try it.
Diet aside, it sounds absolutely decadent. I’m going to start scouting restaurants in the area that may serve it!