Lady Esther's impression of Rose Soda

Lady Esther's Impression of Rose Soda

I've added in some comments in red. These are answers to questions posed by the judges of A&S. I
learned several months ago that although people of the middle ages didn't commonly drink water
because it was often unsafe that they had other choices than alcoholic drinks. Among other listings for
non-alcoholic drinks I found Rose Soda. When I first tried to redact it I didn't realize that I had only
copied part of the information. This is what I went off of:

“Rose Soda (Water) and Lavender Drink were common among refined ladies of the
middle ages. This was usually petals of the flowers soaked in a mixture of very sweet water. While
thought to be a medicine, it found popularity at the dinner table and was thought to sooth a well fed
belly.”(1)

Thinking it needed to be redacted I guessed it would have the same amount of sugar as Kool-aid. To
make it I use 2 cups of sugar to 1 gallon of water and shake that together in a screw-top container. Then
I put ½ cup of dried rose buds I get at Kabul Market and shake that in. I started making this with dried
rose buds I got at the Herb Pantry but I found out that they were for decoration not taking internally.
Those were much stronger so I think they have something added to increase the scent/flavor. I feel
more comfortable with the ones I get from Kabul Market because they are for use in food. Because
they are not as strong I add 1 tsp of rosewater because it would take a lot more rosebuds to get enough
flavor. I leave it in a warm place for 24 to 48 hours. As long as it takes for the liquid to change from
clear to a tea color. If I had thought to take a picture at this step you would see the darker color actually

starting to fill the bottle from the top where the rose buds were floating.

I used to figure when the rosebuds had steeped in the liquid so that it turned into something like a rose
tea it was done but then I decided that in the middle ages if it wasn't used right away it would have
been stored in a container that was not air-tight. From when I learned to cultivate yeasts from organic
materials like raisins, apples and orange peels I knew that if such an item was exposed to the air even
partially for 2 to 3 days yeasts would grow in the sugar water and it would become carbonated. (2)
Some people like it more carbonated and some don't. What I have brought is the carbonated version. I
feel the results are best if you let air into it then shake it at least once a day for approximately 2 weeks
then leave it in cold storage (like the refrigerator) for up to 2 more weeks. The carbonated version is
less sweet than the fresh version because the yeasts use carbohydrates as food, in other words they

literally eat the sugar. I think it is still sweet enough and very refreshing as a carbonated beverage.

I later found the rest of the information on how to make it at that same web site:

Rose Soda / Lavender Drink

Adapted from _The 'Libre de Diversis Medicinis' in the Thornton Manuscript (MS. Lincoln Cathedral,

A.5.2)_. Edited by Margaret Sinclair Ogden. Published for the Early English Text Society by

Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press. Amen House, E.C. 4. England. 1938. Text circa early

1400 CE.

1 part rose/lavender petals

2 parts water

2 parts sugar/honey

Soak a number of petals in a pitcher of water holding twice as much water as petals for one night.

Press, but not squeeze, the water from the petals and reuse them as needed. Mix into the water enough honey or sugar as to taste, and serve cold. (3)

If I had used more rose buds instead of supplementing the taste with rose water I may have ended up

with a similar flavor but in my opinion it would have been too sweet for most of us to drink, with that

much sugar/honey it would have been a fairly thick syrup. It looks like the amounts listed are a modern

redaction and not part of the original recipe. I have mixed enough sugar for my taste and served cold.

Etienne commented that I should have mentioned how, when, and what tools should be used for

straining. I strained the sample I had out for judging because I felt it would be easier for the judges to

sample and easier for me to clean out the decorative bottle if it didn't have rose petals in it. As for if you should strain it, in the words of many of the middle eastern cook book authors, “do as you wish”. If you were to make it using more rose petals and no rose water I would recommend straining at least most of them out. If you strain the roses out that should be done just before serving and using a strainer is period.

I am remembering in a recipe that I had read which called for rose water it said that different brands

have different strengths so the amount of rose water used (if you choose to go that way) will depend on the brand used and your personal taste.

If you use this as a sourdough starter instead of just a beverage you will probably want to strain it

unless you like the look of roses in your bread but the center and stem of the rose are woody and hard

to chew.

1 & 3 http://mbhp.forgottensea.org/noalcohol.html

2. “Artisan Breads” by Jan Hedh, 2011

originally published in Swedish as Brod by Prisma, 2004

chapter “Baking with Levain” pg 31