Looking for edible flowers that will brighten up your meals at the dinner table this Christmas? Then look no more as we have got you covered. In this article you will not only find 7 edible flowers you can use to decorate your dinner meals but also find the health benefits of these edible flowers.
Christmas meals are always special with most families getting together and carrying forward their traditions for Christmas like traditional dishes and activities. This Christmas do something different by incorporating a new twist to your old traditional dishes.
Its true for special occasions we do decorate our house and dinner table but why don’t you decorate your dishes too. Edible flowers will help you brighten up your dishes and also offer some health benefits as well. Several cuisines around the world use edible flowers in the dishes alongside decorating the dish.
Not all flowers are edible so knowing which flowers to use in your dish is necessary. These edible flowers will add a unique color and flavor to your dish like beverages, entrees, salads, sauces and more. In this article we talk about 7 such edible flowers that you can use to decorate your dinner plate.
7 Edible Flowers For Decorating Your Dinner Table That Also Has Health Benefits
So here are some edible flowers you can use in your dishes that also offer some health benefits.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is another tropical flower that is edible and comes in a variety of colors. Some varieties of Hibiscus are grown only for ornamental purposes while others are used in medicinal and culinary purposes. You can make hibiscus tea by drying the flowers petals or make relishes and jams with the flowers.
You can put hibiscus in salads for decoration purposes and to add a floral taste to your salad. Hibiscus tea are drunk in many places for its medicinal properties. Some studies have found that Hibiscus helps in reducing cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
But further study needs to be conducted in this regard, especially if it supports heart health.
Lavender
Lavender, a woody and floral herb, is one of the most used edible flowers in dishes and to make drinks due to its fragrance and color. Lavender’s distinct fragrance and color makes it desirable for different kinds of food especially herbal teas, herb mixtures, dry spice rubs, infused syrups, baked goods, liqueurs and for decorating dishes.
Lavender claims to have calming properties resulting in many people incorporating the flower in different dishes. As the flower pairs well with both savory and sweet dishes including ingredients rosemary, thyme, sage berries, citrus and chocolates this flower can be used in variety of dishes.
While cooking dishes with lavender, use it in small amounts as it can overpower the flavor quickly. Although this flower is small, it is packed with flavors.
Rose
Rose is one of the common edible flowers that you can find on the market easily. There are 150 varieties of rose species in the world varying in different colours and sizes. Best part is all rose species are edible but they don’t necessarily taste the same.
But this is an easy way to choose which rose to use in your dishes. Always choose flavorful roses that smell pleasant as they are most likely to taste good. Only use the petals of roses not its stem or leaves in your dishes.
Rose can be eaten raw with fruit or vegetable salads, mixed with granola and dries herbs for dishes. Rose petals can also be squashed to mix with liquids like rose-infused beverages, jellies or jams and chopped into ordinary ingredients like butter or sugar for a extra flavorful taste.
According to research, rose have health benefits as it helps reduce anxiety, which therefore promotes relaxation.
Squash Blossom
Most likely you have seen and eaten squash. Did you know squash flower known as squash blossom can also be eaten. The most common type of summer squash is zucchini that has bright yellow, long bell-shaped edible flowers.
You can eat this squash blossom with salads or by battering it and frying it. You can use this blossom and stuff it with cheese and herbs and then bake or fry it to make a crispy dish. Since only female blossom can become a squash you can easily eat the male blossom without effecting the squash harvest.
Pansy
Pansies are small colorful blossoms that are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. You will find several different colored pansies, most common being blue, purple and yellow. These blossoms are used for decoration in different kinds of cuisines and beverages.
They are also the most common edible flowers used in exotic dishes for their pattern. These small blossoms get darker in the center that looks similar to an ink stain. Pansies have a very light floral flavor with a mild taste. With its variety of colors, desserts makers love using pansies for decorating their sweet dishes.
Pansies can also be candies to add to desserts or added in any dishes for decorations from salad to desserts. Pansies are known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. With its texture, color and heath benefits you can definitely try using this edible flower.
Chamomile
Chamomile another edible flower that is often used as floral herbs in cooking as well as traditional medicines for several centuries. In the present day, one of the best health benefits of chamomile is to improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety.
People often have chamomile tea after dinner for good sleep and reduce anxiety in this fast-paced competitive world. When added to food, this edible flower offers sweet and earthy flavor.
This flower is heated up to extract its liquid for flavor for desserts and baked goods or dried to make tea.
Honeysuckle
There are 200 species of honeysuckle but commonly edible honeysuckle are of Japanese and woodbine varieties. These edible flowers are mostly white or yellow in color and contain sweet nectar within which can be eaten directly from the flower.
The flower has been used in Chinese medicines for several centuries as they offer treatment for various inflammatory conditions. Although its benefits remain unproven scientifically, it is still used in several Chinese medicines.
The most common use of Honeysuckle in dishes is to make sweet tea and syrups for the flowers’ flavorful and fragrant properties. You use honeysuckle syrup for your yogurts, iced teas, sorbets or while making sweet bread.
While its true honeysuckle nectar are safe for consumption, some varieties of the flower can be toxic when consumed in large quantity.
Conclusion
Now that you are well-informed about edible flowers, let us know if you knew about the health benefits of some of these edible flowers?
Read more…
9 Most Expensive Steaks in the World and What They Cost
15 Plants You Can Grow In Your Moon Garden
Leave a Reply