Sciroppo di Rose
Rose Syrup
Roses stood on Genoese balconies and in Genoese gardens along with the fig and the lemon verbena. The petals were picked and steeped into a syrup and offered to guests in crystal glasses barely bigger than a thimble. People without a rose bush picked them inland in the Scrivia valley or bought them loose from the grocer or the florist, and a few Genoa shops still sell them to the few who still make it; in May you can see baskets of red and pink petals next to the crates of artichokes and the asparagus.
Designation
- Certification
- Slow Food Presidium
- Category
- Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed
Where it is made
Genoa and its province
How it is made
The best roses are the old varieties, nearly all selected between the end of the 18th century and the 19th, the heavy blooms of Victorian flower paintings.