The usage of edible flowers in cooking is far from being a new trend. Edible flowers have always been used. Romans used them in some of their dishes. Some flowers will add some taste to your dish, while some will just add colors to it. In any case, make sure that they are edible.

Guidelines About Edible Flowers

It can be very tempting to use flowers to decorate a dish. It could be dangerous as some people may think that if it is on a plate it can be eaten. Similarly, to any other plants some flowers can be dangerous and make you sick. So don't take any flower; ask where the flower is coming from. If it is from a florist, it has likely been sprayed with some pesticide. If it comes from your garden, get a book and make sure that it is edible. Be careful as it happens that only one specific flower of a type can be safe. Do not use flowers from the side of a road where it absorbed the car fumes or from a farmland as you don't know if the owner sprayed it or not with chemicals. The best method is to purchase flowers that are clearly marked as edible.

How to Use Flowers in Cookery

Flowers can be consumed raw, cooked, or infused in sauce. All edible flowers can be used as a decoration to a dish or on a tray. Vinegar changes the color of the flowers. It is best to serve the salad dressing on the side. They are sometimes an actual component of a recipe such as the "fleurs de courgette farcies" (stuffed zucchini flowers).

Some of them are also used in confectionery, crystallized (violets, roses, forget-me-not and mimosa) or infused (rose, orange blossom). The infusion of rose is used in recipes such as "loukoums" (specialty from Turkey) and "baklava".

Some Edible Flowers

Flowers of a same family may not be edible. Please take all the necessary precautions before eating flowers or using them as a garnish.

	Zucchini flower Stuffed, fritter. Specialty from Provence: Stuffed zucchini flower.
	Corn flag Salad, stuffed, garnish. Taste similar to lettuce.
	Cornflower Salad, garnish.
	Pot marigold Salad, soup, butter, sauce, drinks, cookies. Coloring for cheese and butter. Bitter taste.
	Rose Infused, jam, crystallized sweet, aromatic flavor. Stronger fragrance produces a stronger flavor. Be sure to remove the bitter white portion of the petals.
	Carnation Salad, crystallized, butter, lemonade, garnish. Sweet petals - cut the petal away from the bitter white base of the flower. Nutmeg scent.
	Borage Flowers in salads, teas- Flowers candied. Light cucumber flavor.
	Daylily (Hemerocallis) Salad, soup, stuffed. Remove stems, anthers and pistils before using. NOTE: Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Day Lillies may act as a laxative.
	Pansy Salad, crystallized, butter. Remove the bitter stem before using.
	Violet Salad, tea, syrup, jelly, crystallized, vinegar. Strongly scented.