Scented water
Encyclopedia
Pomander
A pomander, from French pomme d'ambre, i.e. apple of amber, is a ball made of perfumes, such as ambergris , musk, or civet. The pomander was worn or carried in a vase, also known by the same name, as a protection against infection in times of pestilence or merely as a useful article to modify bad...
s and body care products.
Ingredients
Some of the flowers and herbs used to make scented water are:- jasmineJasmineJasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
- lemonLemonThe lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
- lavenderLavenderThe lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
- from the Latin word lavare, meaning to wash. - myrtleMyrtleMyrtus is a genus of one or two species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, native to southern Europe and north Africa. The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5 m tall. The leaf is entire, 3–5 cm long, with a fragrant essential oil. The star-like flower has five...
- one of the original types. - orange blossomsOrange (fruit)An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
- one of the best known waters. Orange flower waterOrange flower waterOrange flower water, or orange blossom water, is a clear, perfumed distillation of fresh bitter-orange blossoms.This essential water has traditionally been used in many French and Mediterranean dessert dishes, such as the gibassier and pompe à l'huile, but has more recently found its way into...
is also used in various cuisines, to flavor desserts and to mask the taste of hard waterHard waterHard water is water that has high mineral content . Hard water has high concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health but can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling...
. - roseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s - distilled are used in cosmetics. Rose water, a byproduct of traditional rose oilRose oilRose oil, meaning either rose otto or rose absolute, is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose...
production, is prominently used in desserts in Middle EasternMiddle Eastern cuisineMiddle-Eastern cuisine, West Asian cuisine, or in some place in the United States, Persian-Mediterranean cuisine is the cuisine of the various countries and peoples of the Middle East . The cuisine of the region is diverse while having a degree of homogeneity...
and North Indian cuisineNorth Indian cuisineNorth Indian cuisine , part of Indian cuisine, is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in Northern India which includes the Indian states: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West-Central Uttar Pradesh...
. - rosemaryRosemaryRosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...
- believed to refuse to grow in flower gardens of evil people.
Hygiene
In Medieval times a scented water was used for hygiene by a person washing their hands with it before meals, since many meals were forkless. The wealthy of Medieval times had their linen clothes boiled in scented water. VarahamihiraVarahamihira
Varāhamihira , also called Varaha or Mihira, was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer who lived in Ujjain...
(6th century) was using scented water to clean his toothbrushes. Just prior to Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
's execution in 1793 one of her servants was able to smuggle her some minimal need requests, one being some scented water for her teeth.
Medical
HippocratesHippocrates
Hippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles , and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine...
mentions scented water in his medical practice:
Washing waters
Boccaccio in his Decameron mentions scented washing waters:Refreshment
It was a custom in the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
for ampitheathres to be furnished with scented water jet fountain sprays for refreshing the spectators. The overhead awning (velarium
Velarium
A Velarium was a type of awning used in Roman times. It stretched over the whole of the cavea in the Colosseum to protect spectators from the elements...
) shielding the spectators for the Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
was saturated with scented water for dripping fragrant water on spectators' heads to keep them cool.
Perfume
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG was an English nobleman, active as a military officer in the north. He is now primarily remembered as the betrothed of Anne Boleyn, whom he was forced to give up before she became involved with King Henry VIII.-Early life:He was eldest son of Henry...
in 1511-12 had various scented waters made for him, which consisted of his usage of over a gallon each week for the year. In the 1571 estate inventory of John Brodocke, an apothecary in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, lists 32 types of scented water that he had as some of the items in his shop. In 17th century Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
the Venetians and Genoese had apothecary shops that had merchants of scented water including rose water. Scented waters were still being used into the 19th century of the wealthy nobles in Egypt as a type of perfume. It was an Egyptian custom then to sprinkle guests with rose water or orange-flower water after dinner just before they were to go home.
Even though it is said by scholars that the art of perfumery has it roots in antiquity, the city of Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
has self established itself as the birthplace of perfumery. In the 18th century they honored guests of the city with scented water and other 'gifts of fragrance'. There are even perfume manuals that describe Montpellier perfumes as being "a la mode de Montpellier" because of extra ingredients used that enhance their fragrances.
Cooking
Scented rose water is and has been used from time to time for cooking and flavoring foods in various recipes. Rose water is used in Greek cuisine.Rose water
Mary Hooper in her book called Petals in the Ashes about the Great Fire of 1666 explains that the first step in making "rose water" is to gather together 3 or 4 full roses. These roses should not have been treated in any way with toxic pesticide for obvious reasons. One is to then take a pint of water and put into a saucepan. Then heat the water with the roses in it gently, not allowing it to boil. You are to cook the rose petals until they become transparent. After that happens, allow the cooked rose water to cool. Then drain through a sieveSieve
A sieve, or sifter, separates wanted elements from unwanted material using a woven screen such as a mesh or net. However, in cooking, especially with flour, a sifter is used to aerate the substance, among other things. A strainer is a type of sieve typically used to separate a solid from a liquid...
forcing the water to go through the rose petals. The resulting "rose water" is to be refrigerated. The scented water then is used as a cooling agent on the body as well as the face.
Scented bath water
Hooper explains that scented water to bathe in can be made of dried herbs. She explains the idea of making such a scented water is to put 8 tablespoons of dried herbs in a pan of 1 pint of water and simmer for 10 minutes. This water then is to be allowed to cooled. Then it is to be strained to remove all the herb pieces. For the actual bath then a quarter of this scented water is to be put into your bath, highlighted with fresh flower petals on top of the bath water. She explains roseRose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s and lovage
Lovage
Lovage is a tall perennial plant, the sole species in the genus Levisticum, in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae, tribe Apieae.-Distribution:...
have a cleansing and deodorising effect. For a refreshing effect she recommends to use rosemary and hyssop
Hyssop
Hyssop is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or semi-woody plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to central Asia. They are aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The leaves are narrow oblong, 2–5 cm...
. For a relaxing effect to use lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
flowers and lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
. For a soothing effect use camomile and lemon balm
Lemon balm
Lemon balm , not to be confused with bee balm, Monarda species, is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region....
.
Primary sources
- French, John, Art of Distillation, 1653
- Plat, HughHugh Plat-Life:He was baptised at St. James's, Garlickhythe, on 3 May 1552, he was third son of Richard Plat or Platt, a London brewer; his father owned property in St. Pancras, London, bequeathed much of it to the foundation and endowment of a free school and six almshouses at Aldenham, Hertfordshire, and...
, Delightes for LadiesDelightes for LadiesDelightes for Ladies is a book of recipes and household hints for women, written by Sir Hugh Plat and published in London in 1602. Its full title is Delightes for ladies: to adorn their persons, tables, closets, and distillatories with beauties, banquets, perfumes and waters...
1594 - Markham, GervaseGervase MarkhamGervase Markham was an English poet and writer, best known for his work The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman first published in London in 1615.-Life:Markham was the third son of Sir Robert Markham of Cotham, Nottinghamshire, and was...
, English Housewife, 1615
Secondary Sources
- Adamson, Melitta Weiss, Food in medieval times, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004, ISBN 0313321477
- Baer, Eva, Metalwork in medieval Islamic art, SUNY Press, 1983, ISBN 0873956028
- Bober, Phyllis Pray, Art, Culture, and Cuisine: Ancient and Medieval Gastronomy , University of Chicago Press, 2001, ISBN 0226062546
- Boeser, Knut, The elixirs of Nostradamus: Nostradamus' original recipes for elixirs, scented water, beauty potions, and sweetmeats, Moyer Bell, 1996; ISBN 1559211555
- Books, Storey, Country Wisdom & Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the Land, Black Dog Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1579123686
- DICTIONARY OF GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES, 1886, Original from Harvard University
- Donkin, R. A., Dragon's brain perfume: an historical geography of camphor, BRILL, 1999, ISBN 9004109838
- de Feydeau, Elisabeth, A scented palace: the secret history of Marie Antoinette's perfumer , I.B. Tauris, 2006, ISBN 1845111893
- Gladstar, Rosemary, Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 Teas, Tonics, Oils, Salves, Tinctures, and Other Natural Remedies, Storey Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1603420789
- Hooper, Mary, Petals in the Ashes, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1582347204
- Kuniczak, W. S., Quo Vadis, Hippocrene Books, 1999, ISBN 0781807638
- Lyttelton, Celia, The Scent Trail: How One Woman's Quest for the Perfect Perfume Took Her Around the World, Penguin Group, 2009, ISBN 0451226240
- Langmead, Donald, Encyclopedia of architectural and engineering feats, ABC-CLIO, 2001, ISBN 157607112X
- Middleton, John Henry, The remains of ancient Rome, Volume 2, A. and C. Black, 1892
- Morgan, Phillippa, Chaucer and the Legend of Good Women: A Medieval Murder Mystery , Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2005, ISBN 0786715987
- The elixirs of Nostradamus: Nostradamus' original recipes for elixirs, scented water, beauty potions, and sweetmeats,
- Papillon, Fernand, Nature and life: Facts and doctrines relating to the constitution of matter, the new dynamics, and the philosophy of nature, D. Appleton and Company, 1875
- Phaneuf, Holly, Herbs Demystified: A Scientist Explains How the Most Common Herbal Remedies Really Work, Marlowe & Company, 2005, ISBN 1569244081
- Ponce de León, Néstor, Technological dictionary, Colonial Pub. Co., 1920
- Smith, William, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.
- Tietz, Joan Ann, A thousand years of sweet: a semantic and cultural study, Peter Lang, 2001, ISBN 0820453838
- Woolgar, C. M., The senses in late medieval England, Yale University Press, 2006, ISBN 0300118716