Glyko Triantafyllo AgrouΓλυκό Τριαντάφυλλο Αγρού

Appearance & taste

Glyko Triantafyllo Agrou is an even, thick mixture with a high proportion of rose petals, which give it bite. In the jar the mass is dark purple to brown, spread out light brown to orange; the individual petals are translucent beige with brown tones. It has an intense scent of rose and tastes sweet and of rose. The moisture content is 20 to 24 %.

It is filled into heat-resistant jars with no prescribed weight. Stored cool and dark below 25 °C, the sweet keeps for up to three years. The label must state clearly that it is made from Damask roses from the community of Agros.

Production

The ingredients are the petals, without stalks, of the Damask rose (Rosa damascena) grown in the area, sugar and water in a weight ratio of 1:1:1 to 1:1½:1; 1 % lemon juice is added. The roses are harvested by hand only between 5 and 8 a.m., while they are not yet fully open and the petals are moist, because according to the specification they lose essential oils in the heat. Within three hours they are brought to the plant with their stalks and processed immediately; with large quantities they may exceptionally be chilled at 0 to 6 °C for at most 24 hours.

Stalks and woody parts are removed, the petals are sieved to loosen the pollen and washed in cold water. Then they are brought to the boil with a little water and sugar in a covered pan so that the aromas that evaporate first flow back into the mass. After that the rest of the sugar, the rest of the water and the lemon juice are added, and the mixture is heated further in an open pan. Adding the sugar in two stages cooks the petals evenly and shapes the colour and bite. The cooled sweet is filled into sterilised jars, which are heated in the oven until the centre reaches 70 to 85 °C. Filling and labelling also take place in Agros.

Origin & history

The area is the community of Agros. It lies at an altitude of about 1,000 m in a natural basin that protects the fields from the north wind; the climate is cold and dry, and the soils over gabbro and diabase are medium-heavy and rich in organic matter. During flowering and harvest in May there is little rain, which prevents fungal diseases. According to the specification, Agros accounts for about 70 % of Damask rose cultivation in Cyprus.

The cultivation of the rose in Cyprus is first referred to at the end of the 19th century; organised cultivation began after 1940 in Agros and Milikouri. It is documented that since 1940 the women of Agros have cooked the sweet at home. Until about 1985 it was made only in households; then commercial production began, drawing on the experience of the village women. The rose is the emblem of the community, and every year in mid-May, at harvest time, a rose festival is held at which products made from the Damask rose are presented.