From Constantinople the rose arrives on the tables of Genoa and Venice, hundreds of years ago
The use of the rose in the kitchen comes from afar, in space and over time. This millenary tradition, in fact, comes from Asia, passing through the two cities that for centuries have been the main gates to the Middle East: Genoa is Venice. It is here that even more is used rose in the kitchen, according to techniques and processes that the Italians learned in Constantinople during exchanges, travels and migrations. In particular, in Genoa and its surroundings, roses are really found everywhere: on balconies, in vegetable gardens, in gardens. "The Genoese have such a strong passion for roses that as soon as they start they start looking for wild canines", Says Viviane Crosa, one of the most important producers. And then, always in the Genoa area, with its fresh rose petals, a rarity has long been prepared, inextricably linked to this territory: the rose syrup, which in the past was given warmth to children at the onset of the first flu symptoms.
Roses in the kitchen
The best roses to use in the kitchen are the ancient ones, such as the muscosa centifolia or rugosa, typical of the Genoese tradition, which have been selected over time to reach a rusticity and a degree of adaptation to the ideal territory for a "natural" cultivation. Their use appears already in a text dating back to the seventeenth century that reads that the preserves that are processed in Genoa are the most excellent in the world. In the kitchen they can be used both as mere decorations; both in more creative dishes; both in products that are prepared historically, such as confetti, preserves is jams. Better if you are sure of the quality of the product, like small companies Rossi confectionery that prepares the classic Genoa Cake, with the variant to roses, that is perfumed with infusions of fresh petals. And then there is it Rose syrup, which for some years has also become a Slow Food Presidium as a rare and elitist product, deeply linked to Genoa and its surroundings. If the roses are still so present here, it is thanks to those who have worked a lot for their recovery, like Viviane Crosa: French native of Nice, married to a Genoese, she has an organic production company "Il Giardino delle Dalie" and it is the President of theThe Rose of the Scrivia Valley Association, which in June also organizes the Rose Festival of Busalla, in the province of Genoa. The Association also includes a series of farmhouses that offer a menu based on roses, such as Salvega of Casella, Autra of Savignone, Artemisia is Cat of Montoggio.
Rose syrup
The rose syrup Presidium is born to protect the handmade product from the poor versions that are around, with preservatives or dyes. For this reason it is very important to enhance and get to know those who still prepare it according to the traditional Genoese recipe, that is starting from fresh flower, with the petals of the more fragrant varieties, grown sustainably and away from sources of pollution. Therefore, when the fresh product is needed, it is produced only during the flowering period, that is from May to June, even if the syrup is then available throughout the year. About a dozen producers remained to prepare it like this, as the company of Maria Giulia Scolaro of Savignone o The undergrowth by Luca Delpian in Tiglieto, in the Orba Valley, which follows the recipe that for years has been handed down only orally, without leaving any written source.
Rose Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
500 g of ancient rose petals
1 liter of water
some slices of untreated lemons
1000 g of sugar
Method
Dip the ancient rose petals with the lemon slices in the boiling water. Turn off the heat and let it soak for at least 24 hours. Then strain the liquid and press the mass of petals.
Add the sugar and bring back to the boil for a few minutes.
How to use syrup
Once ready, rose syrup can be used in an infinite number of ways. The Association Le Rose della Valle Scrivia, through research and testimonies in the field, has recovered some old recipes based on syrup. So today we can find it in tea instead of sugar, on ice cream, on panna cotta, on fresh ricotta, on fruit salad, on sponge cake or on seasonal fruit. Not least is its consumption as appetizer: there is it Rose spritz, the Rose mohito or even just diluted with Prosecco or white wine. And for abstainers, it is enough just with a little water. The important thing is to continue using this product, as a production and an integral part of the Genoese culture and gardens.
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