When most people buy flowers, it’s for a little eye candy or aromatherapy around the home or office. But what about buying flowers for a meal?
Many cooks know that flowers can be an indelible part of a great tasting—and great looking—meal. Whether it’s candied rose petals on a cake or herb-laced butter with spicy nasturtiums, a flavorful blossom can transform any dish into a life-changing experience, as in, “I just ate what?” The right edible flower in the right dish can convert the most cynical person into a foodie for life.
Where to Find Them
The best places to purchase edible flowers are venues where quality produce is sold (green markets, farmer’s markets, etc). You can also grow edible flowers in a home garden, whether it’s a container variety or a large plot of land. Florists, nurseries, and garden centers are NOT reliable sources. Flowers that have been exposed to animal excrement, pesticides, fertilizers, or carbon monoxide (e.g., those pretty wild flowers on the side of the road) should also be avoided.
Be sure that the blossoms are labeled as edible crops. Flowers from herb plants are a safe bet. You can eat the whole flower and it will taste similar to the leaves. They can be used like the leaves of the plant. The petals of many fruit blossoms are the only parts that can be eaten. They are usually candied and used in desserts, or used in beverages.
Diving Right In
The list of edible flowers is quite a long one, and can be quite daunting for someone who is just mildly curious. The following is an abridged list, or a starter list, of edible flowers with descriptions of each blossom as well as flavors and uses in cooking.
Arugula
Description: vegetable flower; small, white, dark in the middle, and cross-shaped.
Flavor: similar to the arugula leaves.
Uses: salads.
Basil
Description: herb flower; bright white, pale pink, or lavender.
Flavor: milder than the basil leaves.
Uses: salad or garnish over pasta dishes.
Begonia
Description: round, fluffy flower; orange, yellow, some white; petals should only be eaten.
Taste: lemony-sweet.
Uses: fruit salads, sherbet, sorbet, desserts.
Borage
Description: herb flower; light purplish-blue star shaped blossoms.
Flavor: cucumber.
Uses: salads, chilled soups, summer beverages, sorbets, and dips.
Chive
Description: herb flower; it resembles large clover blossoms.
Flavor: sweet, delicate, onion-like flavor.
Uses: salads and summer beverages.
Dandelion
Description: yellow to orange color flower, with skinny petals.
Taste: slightly bitter, like chicory or endive.
Uses: soups and beverages; when fried in butter tastes like mushrooms; makes a potent wine.
Daylily
Description: do not confuse with any other type of lily, which contain alkaloids and are NOT edible; may act as a laxative, so use sparingly.
Taste: from sweet to tart; can be crunchy like chestnuts.
Uses: salads.
Dianthus
Description: also known as a carnation; usually pink or red.
Taste: similar to clove or nutmeg.
Uses: Salads.
Garlic
Description: an herb flower, it can be white or pink with stems that are flat.
Flavor: milder than a garlic bulb.
Uses: salads, garnish over pasta dishes.
Ginger
Description: many ginger flowers are only ornamental, so be sure you get the torch ginger flower, also known as bunga katan, which is pale pink with triangular petals.
Flavor: milder than the root.
Uses: thinly sliced garnish over Southeast Asian dishes.
Hyssop
Description: herb flower; dark blue, but sometimes pink or white.
Flavor: minty, pungent, and peppery.
Uses: garnish for savory stews using beans, beef, cranberry, duck, pork, potato, sausage, turkey, or veal.
Marigold
Description: delicate and little, yellow or tangerine colors.
Taste: citrus, a little spicy and bitter.
Uses: salads, soups, savory dishes, can be used as a substitute for saffron.
Nasturtium
Description: brightly painted blossoms, gold, mahogany, orange, purple, blue, yellow.
Flavor: tangy like watercress.
Uses: salads, egg dishes, stuffed as an appetizer; buds are often harvested and used like capers.
