Golab Giri ; An Iranian Spring Festival
Golab is an evitable part of Iranian’s lives. It is used as a drug or flavor in their food. During the years Golab has kept its importance in Iranian’s foods and desserts.
Golabgiri (“making Rosewater”) is a ceremony which is performed each year from mid-May to mid-June in Kashan, Isfahan Province, Iran. Golabgiri takes place in some different parts of Kashan county such as Qamsar, Niasar and other villages. This ceremony works as a tourist magnet and annually attracts tens of thousands of visitors. During this event, the essence of the red flowers planted in many flower gardens in these areas is extracted by a traditional evaporation system.
How to produce Golab (Rose Water)
Before extracting process of the rosewater begins, people gather their petals to put them into the massive copper pots. There are some traditional ovens made from bricks, stones and mud that the pots are going to be put on them afterward. Almost every 30 Kg of rose petals plus 80 litters of water are poured into each pot that is connected to metal pipes for the steam moving through to obtain the hydrosol. The waste of distillation is used for feeding livestock or composting.
The process ends and Golab – rosewater – is ready with its excellent scent to be used in Persian dishes and for healing purposes.
Visiting this amazing ceremony during your trip in Iran is totally recommended.