China Rose Tea

The rose is an emblem of England. We’re constantly growing them, pruning them, giving them as expressions of love (or guilt). But we don’t tend to eat them. It’s different in the middle east, where rosewater is a traditional and popular drink; or south Asia, where rose is a popular ice cream flavour. There is a niche in Britain for Turkish Delight, but it is, well, Turkish, rather than a native concoction. What’s the aversion to using roses in food here? Will the Horticultural Society turn us in?

Fortunately, the Chinese have been blending tea with roses for centuries. Mellow black tea leaves are mixed with rose petals and left to absorb the aroma, creating a gently perfumed flavour suitable to be drunk black or with a little milk. Say it with flowers: Yum.