Aromatic water
Rose Water
ماء الورد · ma ward
Rose water — ma ward — is distilled from the fragrant Damask roses grown around Kelaat M'Gouna in the Dades valley, the 'Valley of Roses', which celebrates its harvest with an annual rose festival. A few drops give Moroccan pastries, salads and drinks a soft, romantic floral note, and it perfumes cosmetics and hospitality too. Like orange-blossom water, its aroma is powerful and best used with a light hand.
- Type
- Aromatic water
- Heat
- None
- Uses
- 5 classic dishes
Flavour & aroma
Rose water is softly floral and perfumed, sweeter and rounder than orange-blossom water, with the unmistakable scent of Damask rose. Its aroma is intense, so a few drops perfume a whole dish; overdone it can taste soapy. It brings a delicate, romantic note to sweets and salads.
In the Moroccan kitchen
Where rose water earns its place — the Moroccan dishes that rely on it:
- Pastries and sweets. Perfumes fillings, syrups and creams in Moroccan desserts.
- Fruit salads. A splash over oranges, strawberries or melon.
- Milk drinks and puddings. Scents warm milk, rice pudding and cream desserts.
- Ras el hanout and blends. Dried rosebuds and rose water both carry the Moroccan floral note.
- Drinks and hospitality. Added to water and sprinkled over guests in welcome.
How to use it
- Add it a few drops at a time and taste — rose water is strong and easy to overdo.
- Stir it into syrups, creams and cold desserts near the end so the aroma survives.
- Pair it with orange-blossom water, honey and cinnamon in sweets.
- Use culinary rose water, not a cosmetic one, for anything you'll eat.
How to store it
Bottled rose water keeps for a long time sealed at room temperature away from light; keep it tightly closed once opened so the perfume doesn't fade. It needs no refrigeration.
Buying it in the Marrakech spice souk
What to look for, and how not to overpay:
- Buy culinary rose water (ma ward) from spice or herbalist stalls; the best is distilled from Dades-valley roses.
- Smell for a soft, true rose aroma — not a harsh, chemical or overly sweet perfume.
- Check it's food-grade for cooking, not a cosmetic rose water sold for the skin.
- You may also find dried rosebuds from the same region sold alongside for blends and potpourri.
Pairs well with
Frequently asked questions
What is ma ward?
Ma ward is rose water, distilled from Damask roses grown around Kelaat M'Gouna in Morocco's Valley of Roses. A few drops perfume pastries, fruit salads, milk drinks and cosmetics, and it is used in hospitality too.
Where does Moroccan rose water come from?
Mostly from the Dades valley around Kelaat M'Gouna, the 'Valley of Roses', where Damask roses are harvested each spring and celebrated with an annual rose festival before being distilled into rose water and dried into rosebuds.
How much rose water should I use?
Just a few drops at a time, tasting as you go. Its floral aroma is powerful, and too much makes a dish taste soapy rather than fragrant.