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If you've ever entered a Persian kitchen, you may have noticed that golab (rose water) isn't a flavouring in the way vanilla is a flavouring. It is closer to a household presence — kept in a bottle in the kitchen, splashed into a dessert, offered to guests, carried to shrines.

This guide is about where it comes from, how to tell real from fake, and how it's actually used at home.

Use only food-grade rose water for cooking. Cosmetic rose water can contain preservatives, and rose essential oil should never be swallowed.