Rose Flower Tea

Roses have inhabited the earth for 35 million years. The Chinese first cultivated them 5,000 years ago. Since then, they have held a place in the human heart ever since, used as symbols of love, beauty, and war, and as additions to perfumes, soaps, and potpourris. The culinary use of roses – as rose syrup, rose water, candied rose petals, rose comfits, and rose tea - spread throughout the world from the ancient Greeks and Arabs to American Colonists. Roses are versatile and medicinal, high in vitamin C and antioxidants. You can make rose tea in a variety of ways. Drop a handful of roses in with your favorite black or green tea and let them steep. Or, boil the dried roses for about five minutes using about 1/4 cup for each cup of tea, depending on taste.