Where can I buy edible rosebuds?

August 15, 2008 10:59 PM

Where can I buy edible rosebuds?

My girlfriend wants to make Persian jeweled rice and one of the ingredients in the recipe she found is rosebuds. We live in Birmingham, AL and have been to a local Asian market, Mediterranean market and Whole Foods to no avail. We are also thinking of hitting up the World Market and a local spice store tomorrow. In case we strike out, would anyone know where we can buy edible (I'm assuming dried) rosebuds online or of a local florist who would have organic, pesticide free rosebuds for sale? Would there be much difference if we substitute rose hips instead?

posted by robtf3 to food & drink (4 answers total)

Rose hips would be pretty different. They have a distinctive flavor. Post on craigslist for pesticide free rosebuds.
posted by theora55 at 5:53 AM on August 16, 2008

Yeah, rose hips are totally different.

Rosebuds don't taste like much -- they just have the faint essence of rose. Even then, you'll have to get a really fragrant variety, because some of them won't even have a very strong essence. They'd have more of a visual impact than anything else.

If you can't find rosebuds in your neighborhood or on CL, like theora55 suggested, try using a bit of rose water towards the end of the recipe, then using some other kind of garnish (other edible flowers, perhaps). Rose water is easy to find at many ethnic markets. My Indian market has an 8-oz bottle for something like $4.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:21 AM on August 16, 2008

Your local florist would be able to find out if they have organic, pesticide-free ones, and I'd go with a smaller florist. A big shop might not honestly know and could be mistaken, but a smaller shop is unlikely to lie to you if they don't know. Usually the owner deals with the vendor directly in a smaller shop and could find out or order them for you.
The rose water sounds like a good deal though, and carnations are edible if pesticide-free also, as decoration. (I had a kid who craved them when she was pregnant, and I had to quit buying them because I didn't know the source, and when she'd leave, I'd find a vase full of green sticks with no flower heads on them. Nothing to do with the question, but they must be tasty.)
posted by unrepentanthippie at 1:31 PM on August 16, 2008

You can by edible rose buds from most any Persian grocer or you can also purchase them online at Sadaf.com. I have done lots of shopping with Sadaf and I am very happy with their product quality and customer service.

I use rose buds in making Mast-O Khiar (yogurt with cucumbers, walnuts, raisins and rosebuds) and also in Dugh (yogurt drink with mint and rosebuds). Yum!
posted by lrkuperman at 6:42 AM on August 27, 2008 [1 favorite]