This Musings was written by Mary Houston, who has contributed to Musings in the past. Thank you, Mary, for your vast knowledge-base and your generosity in sharing.
History of Eating Flowers:
Flowers have been included in food as far back as we have records. Ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese herbalists recorded medicinal and culinary uses for flowers. The early Incas, Aztecs and Hindus included flowers in their most important rituals. Nearly every early civilization recognized calendula, whose petals were served as food and piled on altars. Information also is available on the use of edible flowers from the medieval and Victorian periods.
The Romans recognized calendula blooming on the first day of the month, so they named it accordingly. The valued petals of saffron (Crocus Sativus) were preserved for medicinal uses, so calendula was used to infuse a similar golden color in cooked dishes. Calendula was commonly referred to as “pot marigold” by medieval monks who used it in their cooking pots. The monks also named the wild pansy (Viola Tricolor). These little purple and yellow flowers are the parents of the larger modern hybrid pansy. Bee balm (Monarda Didyma) is very popular with bees but also was used as a poultice for bee stings. Early carnations were called “Pinks” by the Victorians. The species were pink in color but they also had ruffled petals that looked as if they were cut with pinking shears.
List of Flowers (and their main flavot attributes):
Anise Hyssop, (sweet & licorice-like)
Arugula Flowers (spicy or peppery)
Banana Blossoms (bitter when raw)
Basil Flowers (lemony or minty)
Bee Balm (citrus)
Chicory Flowers (bitter)
Coriander (strong herbal flavor, to be used before cooking)
Cornflowers AKA Bachelor’s Button (clove-like)
Dandelion (sweet when young, bitter when mature)
Day Lily (light and sweet)
Dill Flowers (stronger flavor than leaves or seeds)
Elder Flower (sweet)
English Daisy (mildly bitter)
Fennel Flower (sweet and licorice-like)
Johnny Jump-Ups (wintergreen-like flavor)
Mallow Flowers (sweet)
Marigolds AKA Calendula (spicy or peppery)
Marjoram (milder than the leaf)
Mustard Flowers (mustardy)
Nasturtiums (sweet and spicy)
Pansy (mildly sweet)
Queen Anne’s Lace (carrot-like)
Sage Flowers (lighter flavor than sage)
Squash Blossoms (like squash)
Thyme Flowers (milder thyme flavor)
Tiger Lily (turnip-like)
Yucca Flowers (mildly sweet)
Zucchini Flowers (zucchini-like)
There are similarities among edible flowers that likely helped our ancestors decide on their safety. The majority of edible flowers are also butterfly staples, as the larvae eat the petals as a major food source. If they had contained dangerous compounds, the larvae would have likely succumbed. Our ancestors also knew that the flowers of culinary herbs like sage, lavender and oregano contained lower levels of the same constituents as the foliage. Their brave experimentation allows us to eat these edible flowers today without concern. Unfortunately, the poisons present in such flowers as monkshood (Aconite) were discovered in the same manner.
Historically, flower petals were eaten most often fresh in salads or as garnishes. The petals of carnation, bee balm, borage, sage, violet, nasturtium, day lily and calendula were commonly eaten. They were thought to be cleansing for the body as well as attractive. It was common to dry the petals and include them in tea blends. Popular tea flowers were hibiscus, rose, jasmine and bee balm.
- Bee balm was used as a tea substitute when black tea became unavailable during the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
- To preserve violets, medieval monks would make a sweet syrup from the petals.
- The Victorians, who associated edible flowers with elegance, candied the flowers of violet and borage to decorate cakes and desserts.
- In China still today day lilies are used in foods, and are often stuffed and also used as snacks with tea. We all have tasted Jasmine Tea. You often find them in Sweet & Sour soups and dishes.
- The Indians use calendula to spread on top of rice, and marigold is the poor man’s saffron. They also use Rose petals and Rose Water for firey personalities and to cool down an over-acidic body or simply as a lovely cool drink with yogurt and water… Lassi.
- In the Chelsea Market in Great Britain they sell a huge variety of flowers for teas and other uses.
- The French love their lavender, in tea to relax and de-stress; a sprig of lavender in Champagne
- Lavender flowers on top of a chocolate cake, and small lavender flowers in sorbets.
- The Greeks like to eat their big meal in the middle of the day (very sensible by the way), and their lighter meal in the evening. They often make an omelet with squash flowers as their later meal.
- The American Indians used the whole white clover plants in salads and made a medicinal tea of white clover blossoms for coughs and colds.
WARNING: Not all flowers are edible. Make sure the flowers you are about to eat are edible. Search on line. Also make sure you don’t eat flowers from florists or off the side of the road. They should come from pesticide free gardens that are grown on good soil. Flowers have varying degrees of nutritional value depending on how and where they are grown: roses are high in Vit. C; lilies in Vit. A and C; and Nasturtiums in C and minerals.
Here are a few flower recipes:
A SALAD OF FLOWERS AND HERBS
- One head red leaf lettuce, cleaned and torn
- 1 cup mixed herbs (marjoram, thyme, oregano or herbs de Provence)
- Picked over and cleaned 1 cup petals, day lilies, roses and nasturtium
- 1/2 cup pink grapefruit juice from grapefruit
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 turns freshly ground black pepper
- Grated zest of one orange
- 1/2 cup grape seed oil
Toss together in a large bowl the lettuce, herbs and flowers.
Combine all the dressing ingredients except the oil in a 12-ounce jar with a lid. Cover and shake. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes; then pour in the oil. Shake well again. Store chilled. Stream 1/4 cup dressing around the edge of the bowl and toss to coat.
DAY LILY FRITTERS
- 1 cup unbleached white flour or Einkorn flour which has less gluten and is very light (good for delicate flowers)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup ice cold soda water or apple cider
- 2 to 3 cups grapeseed oil for frying
- 1 to 2 pounds of fresh day lily buds
In a small to medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until fully mixed. Add 1 cup of cold soda water (be sure it’s ice cold as this will help your batter crisp up nicely) and gently whisk, being careful not to over-mix. A few lumps in the batter are ok and preferable to an over-mixed batter as you don’t want the gluten to develop.
In a small heavy skillet or saucepan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. The oil should be just a little more than an inch deep and should reach a temperature of about 350 F to 375F. I rarely take a temperature reading, instead I simply drop a bit of batter into the oil as a test. If it starts to sizzle and bubble right away, the oil is ready. It’s important to make sure the oil is hot enough because hot oil prevents your batter from absorbing too much oil as it fries.
Once your oil has reached temperature, grab your day lily buds by the stem and dip each one into the batter. It’s ok for the green stem to stick out of the batter; it will fry up and be delicious to eat as well. I find working in small batches is best, no more than 5 fritters in the oil at a time to properly monitor them. Drop each battered bud into the oil carefully to avoid splashing, and allow it to fry for about 1 minute or until crisp and golden; then flip it on the other side using tongs and fry it for about another minute. Remove the fritter from the oil and place it on a sheet of paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Eat warm, with a sprinkle of sea salt or your favorite dipping sauce. Bon Appetit.
RAW DAY LILY APPETIZER
- 3 cups leaves and soft tops of wood sorrel
- 1 cup pine nuts, soaked for 30 min.
- ½ tsp. Celtic sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 35-40 unopened day lily buds
Rinse wood sorrel and place it together with nuts, salt and garlic in the food processor. Blend until the mix resembles a thick paste. If necessary, add a touch of water to achieve the desired paste consistency. Separate the petals of the lily buds a little, and place ½ tsp. of the pesto between or on top of the buds. Serve as an appetizer.
DAY LILY SALAD
- 2 cups day lily buds (about 50 buds), sliced
- 1 cup torn lettuce
- 1/2 medium cucumber, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
- 3 radishes, sliced
Mix and add salad dressing of your choice
RECIPE FOR PANSY CREPES
- 3-4 free range organic eggs
- 6 Tbs. of organic grape seed oil (or split with raw melted butter)
- 2 Tbs organic sprouted spelt flour, Einkorn flour or a combination mixed with buckwheat flour
- Alcohol free vanilla extract, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.
- Honey or stevia — just a bit (optional)
- 1 cup of pansy flowers.
- Butter for pan or oil
- Crêpe pan is best but not necessary.
Beat ingredients together
Melt 1Tbs butter in pan or more if needed
Heat until sizzling
Take a small ladle full of batter and put in center of pan and swirl the pan until it reaches around the pan. Drop a handful of pansies onto the cooking crêpe.
They should cook pretty quickly, then flip to the other side — less than a minute.
Add your favorite topping — berries, or syrups, jams or jellies
The first crêpe is a throw away. For some reason, they never come out well. But it tastes delicious so go for it.