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Herbs & Cultures

Unani medicine →Ayurveda →

Gulkand, rose petal preserve

Rose petals and sugar that ripen together in the sun into a fragrant, sweet paste.

Traditional use

Time
30 minutes, plus 2–3 weeks ripening
Makes
A jar of about 300 g
Image of Gulkand, rose petal preserve
Miansari66 · CC0

Gulkand comes from the Persian-Indian world: the name joins gul (rose) and qand (sugar). Both Unani and Ayurvedic medicine count it among the cooling remedies for hot days. In India it goes into paan, into milk or simply onto a spoon.

Ingredients

  • 100 g fresh, unsprayed fragrant rose petals (e.g. damask rose)
  • 200 g sugar
  • Optional: 1 tsp honey and a pinch of ground cardamom

Step by step

  1. Remove the white bases from the petals, rinse briefly and pat them dry well.
  2. Layer petals and sugar alternately in a clean glass jar, pressing down each layer.
  3. Close the jar and leave it on a sunny windowsill for 2–3 weeks. Stir every few days with a dry spoon.
  4. The gulkand is ready when the petals are soft and dark and a syrupy mass has formed.

Tips

  • If there is not enough sun, warm the mixture very gently on the stove until the sugar melts.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    Europe · Herb · № 89

    Rose and rose hip

    Rosa spp.

    Rose hips are rich in vitamin C; a hip powder has been studied for osteoarthritis with modest results. Rose water and oil are used in skin care and as fragrance.

    Avicenna's Canon in European universities+6Folklore

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.