Last month I spied a recipe employing dried rose petals and have since been obsessed with trying it. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to find culinary-grade dried rose petals locally at natural food stores and Asian markets, I did what everyone else does and asked Facebook. For one brief and shining moment in time, the Facebook cesspool ceased to cess and friends all over New Orleans came through with leads a plenty.
If you too are trying to track down dried rose petals that can be consumed, here are a few places where you can source these flavor and aesthetic enhancers.
The fabulous and ever-knowledgeable food writer (check out her myneworleans.com blog Side Dish if you aren’t already a fan) and erstwhile cooking instructor Jyl Benson tipped me off that the International Market inside Mona’s Café in Mid-City often carries dried rose petals, as well as rose water.
Rosalie Botanicals in Mid-City also carries organic dried rose petals, as well as tea blends featuring the flower, plus all of the incense, sage and other herb and floral bundles for burning and other goodies.
I sourced mine from Jo LaRocca of Jo Jo’s Garden. LaRocca, who is based in Bywater, supplies herbs, produce and dried edible flowers and herbs to many of the restaurants and bars in New Orleans, as well as to individuals. She is also a fountain of information.
Do you have a favorite source for dried rose petals? Email melanie@myneworleans.com to share.
