Recipe Manuscript

Rosatum Sic Facies

Name: Rosatum Sic Facies
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 200g fresh rose petals (per batch; white base removed; unsprayed, fragrant roses); 1L dry white wine (or must, freshly pressed grape juice, for variant); Rose honey (alternatively, floral honey) – approx. 2 tbsp per glass, or to taste; 200g fresh violet petals (optional, for variant); Quince leaves, green and unblemished (approx. 10-15 leaves, for must variant); Palm or reed basket or cheesecloth bag (for suspending leaves)

"Rosatum Do It Thus"

1475

From the treasured pages of Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts)

Written by Apicius

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Drink

Original Recipe • 1475

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Rosatum Sic Facies

"Olia rosarum albo sublato uino infers ut subtilis ut uino q plurimas infundes ut septem diebus in uino sint post septem dies rosam de uino tollis & alias subuliles recentes similiter mittis ut per dies septem in uino requiescant & uinum colas et cum ad bibendum uoles uti adies mel roseum non fines. Sane custodito ut rosam a rore siccam & optima modis similiter ut sup. Et de violatiu facies & eode modo melle temperabis. Rosatu sin rosa sic facies. Folia cutei viridia in sportella palmea i dolium musti mittes anq ferueat. et post quadraginta dies exime: cui non fuit mel addes & pro rosato utere."

English Translation

"Place rose leaves, with the white part removed, into very fine wine so that many are infused; let them remain in the wine for seven days. After seven days, remove the roses from the wine and put in other fresh, very fine (rose leaves) in the same manner, so that they rest in the wine for seven days. Then strain the wine, and when you wish to use it for drinking, add rose honey without ceasing. Make sure that the roses are dry from dew and the best quality, just as mentioned above. You can do the same with violets, and likewise temper it with honey. For Rosatum made without honey, do it thus: Put green leaves of the rose peeled of skin into a palm basket and place it in a cask of new wine before it ferments. After forty days, remove it; for that which has no honey, you may add some, and use it as Rosatum."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in Latin with a sprinkling of abbreviations and a manner typically seen in late medieval manuscripts: concise, imperative, and expecting sensory judgement. Spelling is variable (e.g., 'u' for 'v', and 'q' as shorthand for 'quod'), and instructions are based on time (seven days), sequence (replace petals), and outcome (clarity, aroma, taste). There are no precise quantities or measures—such manuscripts assumed a practiced cook's familiarity and a reliance on keen senses rather than modern weights. The repeated infusion and strict attention to petal quality reflect a culinary world enthralled by aroma and appearance.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts) - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts) (1475)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Apicius

Era

1475

Publisher

Venice

Background

A delectable compendium of ancient Roman cookery, this collection invites you to taste the flavors of antiquity through ten tantalizing sections based on Apicius’s famed De re coquinaria. Savor recipes, tips, and culinary wisdom penned in a fine Italian hand for the epicurean elite of the 15th century.

Kindly made available by

University of Pennsyllvania

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe derives from a late 15th-century Italian codex attributed to Apicius, but likely a compilation of late medieval and early Renaissance culinary lore passionately studying ancient Roman gastronomy. At this time, cooks and scholars alike were fascinated by infusing the flavors of flowers and herbs into wines and syrups, a technique prized for its refinement and subtle aroma in aristocratic and upper-middle-class households. Infusing wine with roses (rosatum) harks directly back to Roman culinary traditions, bridging worlds between ancient text and Renaissance fashion. The hands who penned and read this recipe in Italy around 1480 would have prized it both as a rare luxury and a surprising delicacy brought out for special gatherings or festive occasions.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

A large earthenware or glass vessel (demijohn or jar) would have held the rose petals and wine, covered with fabric or a simple lid. A coarse sieve or cloth would have been used to strain the wine after each infusion. For the must variant, a wooden barrel, a palm frond or woven basket (or cloth bag) would have been needed to suspend the quince leaves in freshly pressed grape juice. A small knife was used for removing the white base of the rose petals, and honey was likely stored in ceramic pots, to be blended in with a wooden spoon or paddle.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

7 oz fresh rose petals (per batch; white base removed; unsprayed, fragrant roses)
4 1/4 cups dry white wine (or must, freshly pressed grape juice, for variant)
Rose honey (alternatively, floral honey) – approx. 2 tbsp per glass, or to taste
7 oz fresh violet petals (optional, for variant)
Quince leaves, green and unblemished (approx. 10-15 leaves, for must variant)
Palm or reed basket or cheesecloth bag (for suspending leaves)

Instructions

Take fresh, fragrant rose petals and remove the white base to avoid bitterness.
Weigh about 7 ounces of petals.
Place them in a large, clean glass jar and cover with 4 1/4 cups of dry white wine.
Make sure the petals are completely submerged.
Cover the jar and let the mixture infuse in a cool spot for 7 days, shaking gently every day.
After a week, strain out the petals and discard them.
Add a fresh batch of 7 ounces new rose petals to the same wine, repeating the infusion for another 7 days.
Strain and bottle the resulting wine.
When serving, you can sweeten the rose-infused wine with rose honey (about 2 tablespoons per glass), or use regular floral honey if rose honey is unavailable.
For variation, you may also use fresh violet petals in the same manner.
Always use petals that are dry (untainted by dew or rain) and in excellent condition.
As a further twist, the final note mentions you can prepare must (freshly pressed grape juice) with the green peel of quince leaves: tie washed leaves in a palm basket, suspend in a barrel of must just before fermentation, and remove after 40 days.
Sweeten with honey as desired before serving.

Estimated Calories

120 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need about 15 minutes to prepare the petals and set up the infusion. There is no actual cooking needed. The recipe makes around 6 servings, and each serving contains about 120 calories if sweetened with honey.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.