Growing Roses for Food in 1925
HOW THEY GROW ROSES FOR FOOD IN NANKING
Source: The Literary Digest for September 12, 1925
IT seems that the Chinese city of Nanking is a notable center for rose-growing for food and the preparation of rose-leaves for table use. According to a recent issue of The Chinese Economic Bulletin, published by the Chinese Government Bureau of Economic Information, with offices at Peking and Shanghai:
Two varieties of roses are cultivated in Nanking. What is known as the “imported” variety is used only for decoration and has little commercial value, because it is not so scented as the indigenous variety. The color of the “imported” variety is either dark or light red and that of the indigenous variety purple. The latter is highly scented and retains its fragrance for months and even years. The dried petals, after being kept for a year or two, become as fragrant as fresh petals after they are moistened. It is this characteristic that has made the flower so much sought after by the Nanking public, its use being chiefly for food-scenting.
The Nanking public uses roses not only to scent tea-leaves or drinks, as people in other parts of China do, but also in the preparation of various kinds of food, especially candy and light refreshments. Nanking bakers use roses very liberally in scenting cakes and other kinds of pastry. During the flowering season, the bakers collect large quantities of these flowers and keep them in a preserved state to be used in the next twelve months. Rose-petals are preserved for food-scenting in two ways: they are either dried in the sun and kept in a covered jar, generally of glass, or preserved in sugar sirup. Nanking brewers use rose-petals in preparing a kind of rose-scented liquor. Even pedlers and food vendors boast that their wares are rose-scented. The greatest consumers of roses in Nanking are the bakers and tea dealers, the latter using them to scent tea-leaves.
A candy from sugar and rose-petals is also prepared. This is done by pounding fresh rose-petals into a pulpy mass and mixing with refined sugar, which is further churned with a spoon or ladle until thoroughly mixed. The mixture is then dried in the sun. This preparation is known as “rose sand,” because the sugar, when dried, still retains its granular form. This concoction is pretty in color and palatable to the taste, and is a favorite food among Nanking adults and children alike. In spite of the pounding and mixing, the rose undergoes no change in color or scent. The “rose sand” is generally used to sweeten food or drinks. It is also believed to have medicinal value, the rose scent being claimed to possess the quality of strengthening the digestive power. The recipe of preparing “rose sand” is one catty [ 1/3 Ib.] of sugar to every fifty rose-petals.
Roses are extensively cultivated by Nanking farmers who live near the city. There is also a special class of florists inside the city. The rose-bed is generally located near the farmer’s house, where the land is suitable neither for rice cultivation nor for mulberry plantation. The rose-bed sometimes covers an entensive area and is carefully watered and fertilized. Every one or two years, young shoots can be separated from the parent shrub and with the roots covered with mud are often sold on the market for transplantation. Rose shoots obtained in this way, however, often fail to grow, because the roots have either been hurt or partially dried up. Nanking horticulturists, for transplantation, prefer the young roses sold by the city florists in pots, which, after being used as table decorations, can be transplanted in the ground, and grow rapidly.
The market price for roses varies with the conditions of the weather. Fair and settled weather in the flowering season will bring good returns to the farmers. Under such weather conditions, the demand for fresh roses is brisk and prices rise accordingly. The market for fresh roses is over in less than a week, buyers being eager to collect flowers and dry them while the sun shines. Rainy and unsettled weather causes the market to become exceedingly dull. The price of the flower is extraordinarily cheap, owing probably to extensive cultivation. In former years, a rose used to be sold for a cash or one-tenth of a copper. The market price now is four cash for a rose of medium size or five roses for two coppers. Nearly every household in Nanking uses roses either as food or decorations. Nearly 10,000,000 pieces. valued at between $15,000 and $20,000, are gathered every year in Nanking.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
