Friday, 23 July 2010
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A List of 15 Edible Flowers
They look good enough to eat (heh, heh..ya know?)! But seriously I was watching "Roker on the Road" (for the first time, good show but damn he looks weird skinny), and he visited an American farm whereon flowers were harvested for the eating. I remembered when I was waitressing at the Christmas Bazaar at our local church, and a fellow-waiter told me I could eat the decorative flowers on the plate. I asked him if he thought I was stupid.Now - I kind of feel like he just may have thought I was.
Anyway, this is not the list of flowers grown on the show I saw, but it's a pretty comprehensive list nonetheless. It was comprised by researcher Amy Barclay de Tolly and home-cooking guide Peggy Trowbridge (to see the full chart with its many additional facts, click here).
Here is the list! I advise, as the chart-creators did, not to depend solely on the pictures provided. Just in case, do a little research yourself if you're serious about flower consumption.
1. Angelica - whole thing is edible. Tastes like celery, and apparently many people like to candy the stems.
2. Anise Hyssop - whole thing is edible. Tastes like licorice.
3. Carnation - whole thing is edible (I KNOW!). Tastes spicy and peppery.
4. Chrysanthemum - only the petals are edible. Tastes bitter and pungent.
5. Cornflowers - only the petals are edible. Tastes clove-like - a little spicy, a little sweet.
6. Dandelion - only the petals are edible (but STILL - you'll never starve, at least if you live on the American east coast!). Young buds fried in butter apparently taste like mushrooms - and also, dandelions make a "pungent" wine!
7. English Daisy - only the petals are edible. Has a tangy taste.
8. Gardenia - whole thing is edible. Has a light, sweet taste.
9. Hibiscus - whole thing is edible. Very bitter to eat straight, but makes a great drink when it's boiled. (FYI: This was the one the guys tried to get me to eat at the Bazaar - good thing I didn't because these ones were DEFINITELY not boiled).
10. Lilac - whole thing is edible. Tastes citrus-like.
11. Marigold - whole thing is edible. Tastes spicy/bitter.
12. Nasturtium - whole thing is edible. The most popular part of this flower for consumption is apparently the buds, which are often pickled and used in dishes the way that capers are. Tastes sweet, a bit pungent, and a tiny bit peppery.
13. Rose - whole thing is edible! (Ladies - next time a date brings a bouquet, thank him for taking care of dinner! Muahaha...). Tastes sweet and aromatic, and the stronger the smell of the rose is, the stronger its flavor can be expected to be. Try to avoid the white parts of the petals when cooking with roses, because these sections are bitter and gross-tasting.
14. Sunflower - only the petals are edible. These taste slightly bitter, but can be boiled to lessen the intensity of the bitterness. Flowerbuds that have not yet opened can be steamed, in the same style that artichokes are.
15. Violet - whole thing is edible. Tastes sweet like nectar.Have you ever eaten flowers before? What are some dishes that you can incorporate them into?
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About the Author
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- From: fiona
- Name: Fiona
- About Me: I love food, but I'm a much bigger fan of eating it than I am of preparing it! I love traveling to new places and trying new things - which can either be wonderful or disastrous in the food arena. I am a New Yorker situated in Virginia for school, although I try hard not to stay in one place for too long!
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Comments (60)
I've had the hibiscus tea before. It's called Jamaica and it's pretty good.
This is rather funnily timed as I just ate a begonia flower yesterday... it was citrusy!
my grandma gathers dandilions and makes tea out of them. it's VERY sweet. I've had hibiscus as garnishes on sweet things, and candied ones :]
I have eaten rose petals before and had drinks and sweets mixed with rose water. Very sweet and aromatic.
wow had no idea lilacs and daisies were edible. But i do know the Chinese like to use chrysanthemums to make tea. its good for you after eating a lot of fried foods. but very bitter
I was thinking the sunflower seeds were pretty edible.
To quote Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory : "Everything in this room is eatable, even *I'm* eatable! But that is called "cannibalism," my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies. "
I would prefer to just look and smell most of these flowers, they are rather quite pretty.
I've had hibiscus tea many times... the tea was really good.
The violet and Anise Hyssop both sound good.
The last ten are spider magnets, all are bug magnets (cept the Dandelion, nobody likes that fucker)...so as long as you don't mind a little protein.
Never really tried flowers, haha. Seems expensive if you don't grow it yourself. :)
Dandelion greens are definitely edible as well. Very tasty too!
Honeysuckle is the only flower I've really had the pleasure of consuming any part of. :)
my boyfriends parents are really big on Dandelion salad. they're from croatia. they said its a big thing over there. i have yet to try it
I like Chrysantemum in my tea!! I'm totally going to try the others...
I've had hibiscus tea, but also this hibiscus drink that is carbonated and so yummy! Funny though I always heard dandelions where poisonous... maybe my mom just didn't want me eating our weeds as a kid, lol.
Hibiscus is the only one. Jamica! :D yumm!!
i need to try some more flowers!!I once had a cream cheese spread at a boutique store that had flowers all over it to be eaten with it and as a decoration, too. I think it's a really cute and earthy idea.
I think I had Gardenia. lolz love ittt :)
the only flower i've eaten willingly is lavender, and i hated it. xP
I've had dandelions and I put them boiled in salads :P
I work on an organic farm in New York and we grow Nasturtium among most of those flowers many other things, but that's my favorite flower to add to salads. It tastes good and looks lovely! :]
ohh i cant wait to go to a garden and eat my filling now :) this was an interesting post !
I am going to go outside and eat ALL the dandelions in my yard! MMMM
I really want to try sunflower petals! Interesting post :]