VeganMoFo 30: Rose Petal & Almond Tea

Today's "spice" is: Dried Rose Petals

Oh my, aren't they just beautiful? And they smell amazing too. I usually have some dried rose petals around, because they are used from time to time in Persian sweets. I remember hearing on NPR about some Iraqi caramels with rose petals on top... and someday I might try to recreate those. But for now, I wasn't in the mood for something sugary and naughty... just something rosy!

Fertile Crescent Aromatic Almond Tea

So, where else to turn, but the amazing book Silk Road Cooking! I usually focus on the entrees, but Silk Road also has a really amazing chapter on syrups, coffees, teas and drinks from the Silk Road. After snooping around, I settled on this lovely recipe - featuring thai basil, caraway, star anise, cinnamon, ground almonds, rose petals, nutmeg... Amazing! No actual tea in the whole thing... just an alluring mix of herbs and spices boiled and steeped together. Such a sweet and pleasant little concoction! Not at all overbearing, just light and delicate. Next time I will probably reduce the sugar a little bit, but otherwise I really loved this tasty "tea."