The ABCs of edible flowers

Eating flowers is nothing new. In fact, it dates from the days of the Roman Empire and ebbed in popularity only after the Victorian age. Edible flowers are enjoying a revival and you can join the trend by not only putting some of the cut flowers from your garden in a vase, but also on serving platters and dinner plates. They'll make the dish prettier and tastier too.

Warning: Never serve or eat flowers that have been sprayed with pesticide of any sort. Also avoid such toxic plants as azaleas, bleeding hearts, crocuses, chrysanthemums, daffodils, hydrangeas, lilies-of-the-valley, oleanders, rhododendrons and sweet peas.

Here are some varieties of edible flowers and ways you might like to try them.

These red flowers, said to taste like oregano with a hint of mint, are most often used in fruit dishes and leafy green salads.

The golden-orange calendula, a marigold cousin, resembles saffron in taste. Sprinkle petals on pasta and rice dishes.

Dandelion flowers should be eaten only when very young and just-picked; try the honey-like petals as a garnish for rice dishes. The leaves are a great addition to salads, but be aware that dandelions grown in a flower bed are tastier than those that pop up on the lawn.

The mild wintergreen flavour of these flowers is a refreshing complement to salads and soft cheeses.

Nasturtium blossoms have a sweet-and-spicy taste reminiscent of watercress; the leaves add a peppery tang to salads.

Use larger petals to sprinkle on desserts or salads, smaller petals as a garnish. Rose petals are also used to make syrups and jellies.

Sage flowers have a subtler taste than the sage-leaf kitchen herb and add a nice touch to bean, corn and mushroom dishes.

Fried squash blossoms are an Italian specialty beloved the world over. A typical recipe calls for dipping the blossoms in beaten egg white, then in breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese before frying.

Scented geraniums have edible leaves that release a fragrance when rubbed. Among the varieties to grow in pots are those with the aroma of rose, lemon, apple, apricot, mint, cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg. Foods benefiting from the addition of finely chopped scented geranium leaves include fruit compotes, cookies, cakes and poached pears.

With this informative primer, you can now add colour and flavour to your food with one or more of these lovely — and delicious — edible flowers.

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