Gulkand (also written gulqand or gulkhand) is a sweet preserve of

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s originating in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. The term is derived from Persian; ''gul'' (rose) and ''qand'' (sugar/sweet). Gulkand package

Preparation

Traditionally, gulkand has been prepared with Damask roses. Other common types of roses used include China rose,

French rose ''Rosa gallica'', the Gallic rose, French rose, or rose of Provins, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, native to southern and central Europe eastwards to Turkey and the Caucasus. ''Rosa gallica'' was one of the first species of r ...

, and Cabbage rose. It is prepared using special pink rose petals and is mixed with sugar. Rose petals are slow-cooked with sugar, which reduces the juices into a thick consistency. Rosepetals

Uses in holistic medicine

Gulkand is used in the

Unani Unani or Yunani medicine (Urdu: ''tibb yūnānī'') is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The term '' Yūnānī'' means 'Greek', ref ...

system of medicine as a cooling tonic. It is also used in Ayurvedic and Persian medicine to help with bodily imbalances.

References

Indian condiments Pakistani condiments Alternative medicine Roses {{pakistan-cuisine-stub