Various rose water bottles on display beside the olive oils at a shop in Tokyo.
Meant the above for the Japanese blog… It reads “Rose water distilled by steam process; Like those aristocratic Europeans, add to wine for noble flavoring and sublime scent; add to milk, tea … and also add to your pastry baking.” It is a customary ingredient in Baklava as I learned from Middle Eastern cooking teacher. Here’s more ideas for you.
Aromatherapy related store called “Aroma Bloom” – love, love, love.
Nice diffuser – still don’t think I will carry it back in a suitcase…but for only about $45 and made with wood… cannot be found in US I don’t think. Was torn but gave up.
Can you guess the name of this rose ?
So surprised …
It’s called “Samurai”!
Really? Had no idea there is a variety of rose named Samurai. Samurai translates to Warrior so seemingly so in-congruent … Apparently I have become Americanized – last time, names of red roses were I remember distinctively, “Darcy” and “All for Love” – then, this time, red rose is called Samurai? What happened? I did a double take but noone else seems to think it’s odd…Just me, the Americanized going ? Was reminded that Samurai wasn’t all about bloody battles or fighting … but their code was about honor, loyalty and respect for life because they knew it’s so fleeting:
In Japan, flowers and flower-giving are not exclusively for women. As you might have known, the samurai is an aesthete. He treasures flowers and take them as a part of life as a warrior. This concept is different radically from what Western people think about flowers.
– from Hanakotoba = Japanese Flowers & Their Meaning
There’s always a single stem flower in a vase, changed every couple of days with information on where the flower was grown and the name of that flower shown. Lovely touch that warms your heart and lifts the spirit.
“Pink” Cymbidium
“Lemon Heart” Cymbidium
grown in Shiga-prefecture, this one is from Sugimoto Rose Garden…
back to a single rose splashed in peachy creme color named “Juliet”…
Next post, will cover the benefits of rose water and rose oil as I was asked after class. To be honest, it’s probably not my favorite kind of flower … the thorns, the thorns…but cannot deny that the scents are sublime. AND there’s medicinal value to some so will share later on…