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Sweeteners & chocolate · Syrups

Rose syrup

Sweet, bright red rose-flavoured syrup diluted into sharbat and milk, and drizzled over falooda and kulfi.

Also called: rose sharbat, gulab sharbat, rose cordial, sharbat syrup

3 recipes with it

What it is

A thick sugar syrup flavoured with rose essence or rose water and coloured deep red. Many South Asian 'sharbat' syrups also add herbs, fruit or vegetable extracts, so flavour varies by brand. It is far sweeter and more concentrated than rose water, which is an unsweetened floral distillate.

How it’s used

  • Diluted with cold water or milk as rose sharbat or rose milk
  • Layered in falooda
  • Drizzled over kulfi, ice cream and shaved ice
  • Sweetening lassi and lemonades

Characteristics

Taste
Very sweet and floral.
Aroma
Strong rose perfume.
Appearance
Glossy, viscous, ruby-red syrup.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw

Storage

Pantry-stable. Keep closed in a cool cupboard; refrigerate after opening if the label says so. Discard if it ferments or turns cloudy.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
268 kcal
Protein
0 g
Carbohydrate
66.91 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
46.55 g

USDA FoodData Central: Syrups, grenadine (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Rose water — Use a few drops with sugar syrup and a little red colouring; much less sweet on its own.

Related ingredients

Recipes with rose syrup

More syrups