Rose Water

An ingredient in the cuisines of China, India and the Middle East, rose water is just what its name indicates: a distillation of rose petals. Its intense and perfumy flavor is used in Indian rice puddings and lassi, an Indian shake made with yogurt. But since it began to appear on our local supermarket shelf, we've added it to the simple syrup that we sprinkle on fruit, to frosting for cupcakes and to homemade vanilla ice cream.

Advice to newcomers: Use sparingly until you get acquainted with its flowery power. If it's not to your taste, combined with water it makes a nice splash for dry skin on a hot day.