From Garden to Plate: The Delicious World of Edible Flowers
Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add color, flavor and a little whimsy. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant. The range is surprising. These days, edible varieties are frequently used in fine cuisine.
PANSIES
With a fairly neutral taste, pansies can be added to main dishes and salads. It is also used to decorate different desserts such as creams, compotes and ice cream.
MARIGOLD
Raw, the petals taste rather neutral, soft and discreet, and are used to flavor salads, omelets or even cottage cheese. Referred to as the “saffron of the poor”, the flower also helps to color several dishes. It is used to prepare a creamy yellow food coloring, mainly used with butter.
VIOLET
The flowers of the violet can be added to salads. They are also used to make syrups and jelly. Crystallized, they are used in decorating cakes and many desserts.
Hidden virtues: The leaves of the violet are distilled and used in perfumery, especially for the creation of fragrances with aphrodisiac power.
ZUCCHINI
The flowers of zucchini are eaten stuffed or fried immediately after picking, as they fade quickly. Beforehand, it is advisable to gently wash them and remove the pistil.
Tip: You have to wait till they are golden brown.
PINK HOLLYHOCK
The hollyhock can be added to salads, taking into account its mucilaginous texture. The flowers of the hollyhock beautifully decorate all kinds of dishes and are served as a natural coloring syrup.
Tip: Young leaves, flowers and fruits before maturity are edible raw or candied.
MAUVE
In cooking, mauve flowers can be sprinkled fresh over salads to add a subtle decorative touch and a mild, slightly sweet taste. They are also commonly used as a garnish for pastries, cakes, and desserts, bringing natural color and elegance to dishes.
Hidden virtues: Mauve has long been valued in herbal medicine.
NASTURTIUM
The colorful and decorative flowers are used in almost any kind of dishes, from salads to soups, to poultry, fish, meat, pastries and even drinks.
Tip: Confected in vinegar, flower buds and green fruits of the nasturtium can substitute as capers.
POPPY
The red petals of the poppy are a wonderful addition to a fresh salad and its seeds are used in pastry or bakery, to make flavored breads. They can also be added to a salad to enhance it.
Hidden virtues: It facilitates sleep, calms coughing and irritation of the throat.
