Would you have guessed that Saudi has over 800 rose farms? 🌹 According to lore, the first rose seedlings were a gift from a Sultan in Turkey during the Ottoman empire and, once planted in the mountains of Taif, the roses that grew smelled even more fragrant than the original Turkish variety.
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The rose farms of Taif (a couple hours from Jeddah) specialize in the extraction of rose oil and rosewater, which is quite a profitable venture. The rosewater is often used in baking here (a friend taught me to add a few drops to lemonade too – so good!), but the Taif rose oil is what is sold to European perfume brands. This desired oil can cost over $1000 for 12 ml (less than half an ounce). To harvest that small amount of oil, it takes 15,000 roses going through a multi-step distillation process. Insane.
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Rose season is March-April and it’s high on my list to tour a rose farm and factory when we get a chance. I’ll save my riyals and maybe they’ll sell the rose oil to me by the drop. 😅
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Until then, I’ll settle for the roses I can get at local flower shops. The shops usually don’t have much variety – just roses and carnations (if you know of one with more options, lmk!). I’m assuming they import the flowers they sell, but I could be wrong. There is a small refrigerated area behind the counter where you point at which flowers you want, or just tell the attendant how much you want to spend and they’ll make a bouquet at that price range. If I don’t catch them in time, they’ll spray the bouquet with an aerosol can of “rose fragrance,” which is apparently a standard addition. I prefer the authentic smell, even if it’s weak. 💐
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It was just a couple years ago the sale of red roses was banned around Valentine’s Day, lest any love-sick Saudis would dare to display their affection in such a lavish way on a pagan holiday. However, much to the delight of the flower shops, that ban has been lifted and the rose bouquets can freely flow year-round, filling the air with the sweet aroma of “rose fragrance.” 😁
Rose facts found here: https://sekkamag.com/2018/
