Alteya Organics Single Origin Organic Edible Rose Petals
If the pretty rose petals gracing the surfaces of my recent dessert and smoothie recipes have caught your eye, here’s how you can get your hands on some Organic Bulgarian Rose for your own culinary adventures.
Alteya Organics is both a reliable source for culinary Rosa Damascene Buds and easily accessible on Amazon. Buying food and make-up on Amazon can be a bit dodgy, so I confirmed with Alteya Organics that the product sold on Amazon is authentic. Indeed they do operate the Alteya Organics seller account on Amazon and informed me that they have not had any problems with copycat accounts. For this tea and their other products you’re completely safe to buy on Amazon.
Now that we’ve nipped that in the bud, let’s talk about this extraordinary culinary flower!
Grown in the Bulgarian Rose Valley
Alteya Organics’ rose buds come from the fields of the enchanting Bulgarian Rose Valley, where the Rosa Damascene has been cultivated for hundreds of years, in many cases by families that have been farming the land for many generations. Alteya rose buds are coming from USDA and CERES certified Organic farms in the valley. Because all their roses come from this uniquely fertile valley in the Balkan Mountains, this makes it a single origin supply.
Each spring young roses ripe with flavor are harvested over an intense two week period in May and sold throughout the year until the next harvest. Unfortunately the 80 gram containers are not marked with a harvest date, so it’s impossible to know how fresh your batch is. But each batch I’ve purchased has had the same exquisitely aromatic scent and robust flavor.
From Tea To Tarts
This edible flower can be used to make tea, or for other culinary uses. In terms of cooking with rose, I’ve only crushed the buds to garnish desserts and smoothies, but I’m looking forward to experimenting with making rose petal jam. Growing up, one of my favorite Polish treats was the rose filled pączek – a decadent donut-like pastry filled with aromatic rose jam. I may never be able to have a pączek again, but I sure can figure out how to make that extraordinary jam!
But you don’t have to go through great lengths to enjoy these edible rose buds. Rose Petal Tea is easy to make and is sure to lift your spirits and soothe your soul.
Easy steps for brewing rose tea:
- Using 5-7 roses, crush the buds to expose as much of the rose fibers as possible. Especially the brownish center which yields the strongest flavor.
- Use a teapot with stainless steel strainer, like this pretty Toyo Glass Teapot. There are plenty of affordable choices with strainers, just look for a teapot with a stainless steel insert and no plastic parts.
- Pour boiling hot water over the crushed rose petals, cover with a lid and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
- Consider blending the rose petals with a teaspoon of Banyan Botanicals Organic Tulsi for an even more delicious and healing brew.
- Try the tea with a spoonful of raw honey and cream. Milk won’t produce the same kind of rich flavor, while only a small spoonful of cream will give you an incredibly rich tea latte.
If you want to experiment with dressing up a dessert with the pretty pink petals, try making this wonderfully fragrant raw tart recipe:
RAW CARDAMOM CREAM PISTACHIO TART
Heart Healing
In many cultures rose has been traditionally associated with invoking feelings of joy and uplifting the spirit, but its herbal uses extend far beyond its mood enhancing qualities. The rose in its various forms – teas, tinctures or other extractions – has been known to help regulate hormones, improve libido, reduce stress levels, improve skin and much more.
If you’re interested in the energetic and medicinal properties of the rose, be sure to read my review of La Abeja Herb’s Rose Petal Elixir:
STRESS RELIEF WITH ROSE PETAL ELIXIR FROM LA ABEJA HERBS
Sustainability
You’ll be glad to know that Alteya Organics is an environmentally and socially responsible company. They provide employment to over 400 families in the Rose Valley and pay fair wages for the region. Their good practices are certified with these oversight institutions:
- CERES: certification for organic farming and food processing, for Good Agricultural and Good Manufacturing Practices in the food industry, and for organic textiles and biofuels.
- Gluten & Dairy Free Certified
- Certified USDA Organic
- Rose Valley Region Designation
- Certified Vegan
In addition to the culinary Rosa Damascene Buds, Alteya Organics offer a wide variety of beauty products, but I have not had a chance to give them a try.
Alteya Organics Rose Bud Tea
$13.95
Pros
- USDA Certified Organic
- Rose Valley & CERES Certified
- Single source family farm
- Early harvest for rich flavor
- Naturally caffeine free
