#lilacsyrup

Have you ever thought of eating flowers? Yes, of course, the edible kind. See if you have any edible flowers in your garden and take a culinary adventure with fresh blooms.

The use of edible flowers in food is an old practice. The ancient Romans regularly used blooms as an ingredient in cooking. In fact, they cultivated violets and roses mainly for culinary use. Historical studies tell us that brides from the Tudor dynasty see marigolds from their wedding bouquet as an aphrodisiac hence they consume them.  The Victorians had rose geranium cake and tea sandwiches with nasturtium blooms.

Mexicans typically use hibiscus for their drinks. You can find rose jams and rose water in the Middle East. Italians still use squash blossoms in their dishes. Actually, you probably eat flowers more often than you think. Did you know that broccoli, cauliflower, and artichoke are flowers and not vegetables?

Today, edible flowers appear to be a staple in fine dining. Apart from using flowers to make a meal look more presentable and appetizing, many upscale restaurants around the world use edible flowers in dishes to add color, texture, aroma and flavor.

Among the more popular edible flowers are roses, marigolds, borage flowers or starflowers, nasturtium and chive blossoms. Daylily, elderberry, red clover and dandelions have sweet flavour.  Pineapple sage is spicy-sweet while honeysuckle, lilac, scented geranium and sweet violet has a truly floral taste. Looking for a citrus flavour? Go for hibiscus, signet marigold and tuberous begonia.

Here are some ways on how to incorporate fresh blooms in meal planning:

Give your salad a milder cucumber taste by adding borage flowers.

Chop nasturtium blooms and add it in a lemon butter dressing. Its leaves can also be added in your potato soup.

Make your tempura batter and mashed potatoes tastier by adding chive blossoms.

Your new quick snack could be cheese-stuffed zucchini blossoms.

Shred some lavender and use it in your homemade ice cream or cake.

Harvest violas and pansies, put them in an ice cube tray, fill the tray with water and freeze. These frozen flower cubes can instantly add color and a bit of flavor to your ordinary water. They will also look good in punch bowls and would make your cocktails more interesting.

A lilac syrup is easy to make and may be used on cakes, frostings, yoghurts or in your water to add a bit of flavour.

All parts of daylilies are edible. You can toss them in salads, steam, or stir-fry them.

Use marigold to colour your broth and add better flavour in your butter. Marigolds may also be used in egg salads, puddings, in soups as well as in baked goods.

Roses can be dried, candied, baked, and boiled. The Tiffany varieties are said to be the tastiest.