GULKAND: The delicious and nutritious Indian jam made from Rose petals

Have you ever wondered why sometimes you are mesmerized by the smell of a thandai and the taste of a berfi or a paan? What makes it smell and taste like that? So, GULKAND is the key ingredient to win the game over here. It is because of the use of this sweet Indian jam that is widely used for various purposes from enhancing the taste to different health benefits in India. The etymology claims GUL (from gulab) means ‘rose flower’ kand(from qand) stands for sweet in Persian. Therefore gulkand is a jam that is made by preserving the rose petals which is rich and sugary syrupy in taste with a delightful and aromatic smell that can give you a luxuriate experience in every scoop. Gulkand is a royal delicacy which is also an incredible summer coolant and serves various purposes in the hot climate of the Indian subcontinent. 

The subcontinent faces extreme heat in summers and it becomes a very taxing and tiring thing to work all day long with a sweating and a heating body. Including gulkand in the daily routine can help you beat the heat during these days. In the old Persian and Indian Ayurvedic texts gulkand is mentions as a cooling agent with many medicinal values which helps in the cure of constipation, digestion, treats acidity and heart burns, helps in regulating the menstrual cycle and also cures mouth ulcers and helps with bodily imbalance. You can consume gulkand everyday and can also include it into your daily routine to reap its full benefits. You can simply have a tablespoon of gulkand after your dinner and the best thing is that even a diabetic patient can have this sweet delicacy to calm down the day to day sugar cravings. Having gulkand with milk before bed helps to ensure a good sleep as it helps calming the mind and relieving the fatigue as both milk and gulkand are natural coolants. Not only this gulkand is widely used as a mouth freshener and also used in so many sweets to enrich and enhance its taste like gulkand barfi, gulkand kheer, gulkand thandai, gulkand milkshake, gulkand paan, gulkand ice cream and what not. Gulkand is easily available in Indian stores both offline and online, but one must try making gulkand at home as it is the most easiest rich delicacy as it’s not an arduous process. You can get some ideas from the recipe below.

HOW GULKAND IS MADE?  

Gulkand is a rich delicacy which was traditionally made from DAMASK ROSES. Damask roses have a very strong smell and it is mostly used in perfume industries, therefore damask roses are the best roses that can be used for making gulkand. Gulkand made from damask roses have a relish taste and aromatic smell. Though, gulkand can also be prepared by roses that are easily found like china rose and French rose. Wild roses are best for making gulkand as they are rich in essential oils and hence they are much flavourful than the cultured roses.  Gulkand can easily be made following these simple steps without any hassle.

• The first step of making gulkand is to handpick the petals of the dark red roses or the pink roses. Ensure that the roses are insecticides free. wash them nicely  and leave it on towel or tissue paper overnight to ensure that no water and dirt is left on the petals.
• Now take an airtight glass jar. Place the rose petals and sugar in the jar by layering both alternatively. You can also add cardamom and praval for enhancing its cooling property as well as the taste.
• After layering the petals and sugar, seal the jar with a air tight lid to prevent moisture. Place the jar under the bright sun as gulkand is a delicacy which SUNCOOKED.  Allow it to cook under the sun 6-8hrs everyday for almost a week. (might take a long time in colder regions).
• Within a week the mass would start looking like a jam, it was this simple. ENJOY!!

Now your homemade gulkand is ready to consume with all the benefits and oozing taste. Use it regularly in your drinks and sweets or simply have it with a spoon. This is now your daily source of natural calcium and your heart and brain tonic. Stay healthy!!