The rose is indigenous to Iran and the country was the first place in the world to distil its petals to make rose water over 2,500 years ago. Each spring, the town of Kashan has an annual rose festival where you can watch rosewater being made, from the harvesting of the flowers, to the steaming of the petals.

During the festival the whole town erupts in a cacophony of colour and scent and there is nothing better than taking a moment to rest in shade of the afternoon sun with a bowl of faloodeh, a sweet and tangy sorbet made with rosewater, rice vermicelli and lime juice.