A Rose Lovers Delight!
When I passed the Nevado Ecuador booth during WFE set-up on Monday I spied roses that must have been 5' long! That didn't surprise me as I had seen Nevado's "Size Matters" roses before.
I was introduced to Nevado Ecuador SA at a trade show in Quito a few years ago. It is a family owned business that produces premium cut roses, selling them all over the world. At the time John Nevado was introducing "Red Intuition" - their newly acquired exclusive breed and his fiancee Mia was passing out gorgeous "Red Intuition" boutonnieres to all visitors.
John is president of the company now, he and Mia have married, and the family heritage of innovation, high ideals, and commitment to the industry is moving forward. This year on the last day of WFE I had the pleasure of talking with company namesake Roberto Nevado as he discussed their latest innovation "Culinary Roses" - organic edible roses.
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These roses are produced under certified organic standards. Nevado Ecuador SA has been granted the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Organic and the EU "Ecological Agriculture" seals of approval. Nevado's organic roses are produced without chemical pesticides or fertilizers using all-natural alternatives like garlic-water or chamomile emulsions instead. Using predatory insects that kill off insects harmful to the roses is part of its all-natural disease control program.
These roses can be eaten, used in drinks, or as part of Spa treatments. The slightly astringent taste is ideal for creative appetizers and salads. "I like to use them for small appetizers with a nut and cheese filling", says John Nevado, President of Nevado Ecuador. "And two of the rose-varieties have a very pronounced fragrance making them ideal for use in desserts and aroma therapy treatments where scent is important."
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Roberto knows there is not much demand for these roses at the moment but he and his son John have dedicated themselves to high ideals, forecasting future needs (as it takes years to develop a crop) and producing a premium quality for rose lovers. When asked, "Which one of you is the "innovator"? Roberto answered that both he and John are always open to new ideas, that both of them must agree that a new concept makes sense, and that they each need to be congruent with an idea before either will move forward on it.
In the meantime awareness and popularity for "Culinary Roses" is bound to increase as several popular chefs are discovering and using the edible roses in their fare.
Nevado's passion for roses and commitment to the floral industry can be seen on their "I Love Roses" website www.ILoveRoses.com dedicated to Rose Lovers all over the world. Here you can view and add content to rose: pictures, videos, music, and other information. I find the "Florist Master Classes" and the rose recipes the most interesting but there is something for every Rose Lover there.
Nevado Ecuador can ship their more than 50 varieties of roses to most countries in the world, via their local Representatives.
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