Abundant, although usually unnoticed, microorganisms provide ample evidence of their presence sometimes unfavourably, as when they cause decay of materials or spread diseases, and sometimes favourably, as when they ferment sugar to wine and beer, cause bread to rise, flavour cheeses, and produce valued products such as antibiotics and insulin.
Serve with rose flavoured treats such as Turkish delight or rose petal jam on scones.
We experimented with many different flavours – rose petal, lavender, earl grey, chai tea – before settling on four: double chocolate, stem ginger, plain and demerara, which is one of our best sellers.
Hummus, fūl (spiced bean paste), falafel, and shāwurmah (shwarma; broiled meat served on flat bread) are dishes standard to the Arab world, whereas the influence of Iranian cuisine can be seen in the Emirati preference for rice as a staple and ingredients such as saffron, cardamom, and rose water as flavouring in desserts.
The seasonal flavours include lavender, rose and fresh mint alongside the Italian favourites of pistachio and stracciatella (the Italian version of chocolate chip).
I'm conscious of certain flavours rising and falling as it spreads across the tongue – this may be a result of being conscious of the profile we're trying to create, but nonetheless, I notice.
You needn't worry that the taste will suffer, though: I found that these actually rose better than "normal" choux, and the flavour is great.
They are traditionally flavoured with a sweet aniseed liqueur, but rose water and really sweet sherry give them a depth of flavour that works much better with thick hot chocolate.
Another example of a collaborative approach is Troytown's bestselling St Agnes rose geranium ice-cream: the flower-oil flavouring was distilled by Sam's uncle on his farm.
