ABSTRACT

Surely, the oldest use of roses is their edible fruits, called “hips” in English. Rose seeds have been found dated at 5000 B.P. in the Netherlands and at 3500 B.R in England (Widrlechner 1980). In Britain, rose-hip seeds were found with the skeleton of a Neolithic woman from 2000 B.C. (Genders 1988). The discovery of that antiquity is one indication of the widespread and ancient use of this food. Hips are rich in vitamin C and contain malic acid. Malic acid is one compound that prevents gout, the excess accumulation of uric acid, so the tasty food is also medicine (Genders 1988).