Edible Flowers – Naturally Delicious & Healthy!

FOOD

From Wellness Interactive Branding, LLC.

Lavender

Globally known for their fragrance and calming effects in soaps, candles, and essential oils, lavender flowers are small but powerful. These clusters of blooms make for a magnificent sight in a country meadow, but they also can serve as a tasty presence on your plate.

Lavender has diverse capabilities in foods and can be used in dry rubs, baked goods, liqueurs, and herbal teas. Combine it with both savory and sweet recipes and ingredients such as rosemary, berries, sage, and even chocolate. Don’t go overboard at first, though — it has a pretty strong taste. Start out with a little and then flavor to your particular palate.

Chamomile

Chamomile is another flower with calming effects and is a popular flavor for tea. Having trouble sleeping? Chamomile is a helpful friend. These little flowers that look like tiny daisies have an earthy yet slightly sweet component to their taste and are also a nice addition to smoothies.

The blossoms can be used to prepare infusions/syrups in baked goods and other types of desserts. They also make a good ingredient in salads but don’t use too much of the leaves because they can tend to be bitter. Craft cocktail aficionados also have fun with the flower when combining with vodka. Have you ever tried a Chamo-Mule?

Rose

Roses come in many forms and colors. With more than 150 species, there is undoubtedly a lot of choose from. Not all roses are created equal in the kitchen, though. For the most part, the ones that smell the best taste the best too. Unlike some flowers, the petals are the only edible part of the rose. Seems rational, right? (tough leaves and prickly thorns!)

Certain studies have correlated roses to health benefits such as psychological and physiological relaxation, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects, and even improvements in sexual dysfunction.

Rose petals can be mixed with greens, into granola, or even eaten raw. You can also find consumer products such as jams and jellies that have rose petals in them. Additionally, you can even add it to butter or sugar for an extra delight.

It is definitely worth mentioning, for roses, as well as all of the edible flowers, to be careful and cognizant of your source. Flowers from nurseries will often have chemicals such as insecticides or fungicides on them, so make sure whatever you are using in your food is safe and chemical-free. You can find various sources, either fresh or dried, and prepackaged particularly for eating.

Borage (Starflower)

Borage, also known as starflower for its gorgeous shape, is used in herbal medicine and usually is the color blue — but it can be pink or white. There isn’t much research to support the health benefits of borage, but it has been aimed at helping sore throats and coughs. A great quality of the starflower is its ability to be utilized in a wide variety of dishes in the kitchen.

You can eat the flower petals, often described as tasting like cucumber and honey, as well as the leaves. From salads to soups to sauces, starflower brings a unique twist to a dish. It’s a popular garnish due to its shape and is seen frequently on dessert plates and in craft cocktails at restaurants too. A surprise is that it can even serve as its very own vegetable side dish.

Nasturtium

The savory flavor and brilliant color of the nasturtium make this edible flower a favorite in the culinary world. Eaten cooked or raw, it’s peppery and kind of spicy. You can eat both the petals and the leaves. Another garnish favorite due to its shape and color, the nasturtium can liven up any meal.

This beautiful and nutritious flower has anti-inflammatory qualities as well as loads of vitamin C. (Makes sense with the bold color, right?) The leaves can be used for a vibrant pesto sauce and are soft enough to utilize in a salad as well.

Ready to bring some new colors and flavors to your meals and drinks? Open your mind (and your mouth), and you never know what kind of new culinary adventure awaits. From lavender to rose and chamomile to nasturtium, edible flowers provide beauty and flavor – as well as many potential health benefits – and are a lovely and lively addition to your brunches, lunches, dinners, and happy hours.

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