The goodness of your garden on your plate

Yes, you read the headline of this article correctly. And I am not just talking about a vegetable garden. I am talking about a garden where lovely flowers bloom in abundance. Flowers have been used in culinary practices for a long, long time. The first recorded mention of the usage of flowers dates back to 140 BC.

Various cultures and cuisines have been inspired by flowers and people have used them for various purposes while cooking. Some use flowers to garnish a dish while some use them as a main ingredient. Can you imagine a dish garnished with lovely lavender and blooming roses? Flower petals have been extensively used in salads from time immemorial. Candied violets and sugared roses have always lured even those who claim not to have a sweet tooth.

Flowers have been used in desserts such as ice cream and custards and are also found in baked goodies.

The range of flavour that flowers impart to various dishes is astounding. Violets, lavender or roses generally lend a sweet flavour and thus are extensively used in desserts and salads. I am sure you must have recalled a common usage of rose petals. Yes, the gulab jal or rose water is used in various sweet preparations. Who can forget the use of rose water for the heavenly gulab jamuns! Rose essence is also widely used in other desserts like kheer and phirni.

Violets are perfect for adding to a wide range of food products like jams and jellies. Similarly the delicate pansies are used in various soups and desserts for garnishing as they are mildly sweet in taste. 

Lavender tea is considered to have a calming effect and is often recommended as a cure for insomnia. Apart from this, owing to a citrusy flavour, lavender has found use in a variety of other things ranging from syrups and jellies to wines.

Nasturtiums — which are used very commonly in kitchens all around the world — have a peppery flavour. It is not just the flower that is edible; the whole plant can be consumed. Its petals find good use in salads or are crystallised and used as garnish while the seed pods are used as replacement for peppercorns and capers.

Chive blossoms tend to impart an onion flavour and are often used in savoury dishes.

The lovely carnations have a sweet, nutmeg-like flavour and are great for using in salads and for garnishing. Various others like sage, thyme, rosemary, primrose are the names that I am sure you must be familiar with.

Now that we know about various flowers and their usage, let us look at some related important aspects of edible flowers. Before anything else, it is extremely important to remember that not all flowers are edible.

There are some flowers which are very poisonous and can make you sick. People with allergies should be extra careful while consuming edible flowers.

Be sure to check with a trusted reference source if you intend to use flowers.

If possible use flowers that you have harvested yourself. The best time to pluck flowers for your dish is early morning or in the evening. Do not pick flowers during the middle of the day as the heat may affect the colour and taste overall affecting the look and taste of your creation.

Removing the stem and the pistils from the flowers is a good idea as they can be chewy or at times bitter to taste.

To begin using the flowers, shake them well to get rid of pollen, small insects or any bits of dust. Wash them well but be gentle and then use them as the recipe demands.

(This first appeared on March 15, 2013 here: http://newindianexpress.com/education/student/article1501754.ecere)