Edible flowers: from the garden to the kitchen

On Saturday I made for some friends who came to dinner a salad with flowers, thoughts concretely. They were surprised when they discovered that they were not for decoration, that they were eaten. Oh what faces in the first moment of putting them in their mouth and how they changed to smiles when they savored its aroma. Exit.

Indeed, there are flowers groceries, which can bring an exotic touch to our dishes. But can they all be eaten? Well no. Some of us don't even consider them flowers, like artichoke, cauliflower, or broccoli, but they are. Others, I never thought they were eaten, but they are eaten, like carnations or tulips. And others, do not eat them by far, they are poisonous, such as oleander or azalea. In any case, edible flowers must come from crops without toxic or chemicals. We can grow them at home or buy them in markets, herbalists or specialized stores that guarantee their origin free of toxins.

There are more than 200 species of edible flowers that have been identified throughout the world. In general they are consumed fresh, although there are some, such as chamomile, that are used as an infusion.

But this gastronomic trend is not new at all. In Andalusian cuisine, and in the manuals of the cooks of the Spanish kings of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, its use was common. Roman and Greek cuisine has had them since classical antiquity. In Chinese gastronomy, the lotus flower, magnolia and jasmine for infusions and pastries. In the Japanese, it is the chrysanthemum. And in the Middle East, the pink and orange blossom. In Mexico, the flowers of zucchini (there they call them pumpkin) they decorate and flavor a good number of dishes, and in Italian cuisine, they prefer them as a filling for ravioli and croquettes.

Other edible flowers, better known to us for their presence in bouquets than in dishes are poppies, marigolds, violets, tulip bulbs, carnations, chrysanthemums and pansies.

But be careful with the flowers, there are also them toxic. Lest we give to eat them left and right and end up badly. Also be careful with children in gardens that contain oleanders, azaleas, English ivy, tobacco flower, wisteria, lantana, lily, sweet pea or iris, among others.

If you are interested in the topic, at this link there is a very complete list of edible and toxic flowers.