Top Edible Flowers

8 Flowers lots of us did not know are edible.

We often appreciate flowers by their beauty and how it catches our special someone's heart every time we give them such presents. But what most of us do not know is that flowers are not just good for the eye, but also good for a hungry stomach. Here are some flowers that are good to eat and commonly being used in Chinese, Greek, and Roman cuisines.

1. CHRYSANTHEMUM (Chrysanthemum morifolium, syn. C. x grandiflorum)

If you like the smell of chrysanthemum flowers and the taste of tea brewed with the dried flower buds, then consider eating chrysanthemum greens. You'll find the vegetable in any number of Asian markets—Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian—during the spring to autumn seasons. (Keep your eyes peeled, as it is sometimes referred to as crown daisy.)

2 DAYLILIES (Hemerocallis)

Daylilies are not only edible, they are spectacular. They are being used in Asian cuisine, salads, desserts, deep-fried, or sautéed with garlic and asparagus. After sampling the flowers, flower buds, young stalks and root tubers. The flowers are said to thicken soups the way okra or file powder do. The Chinese use them in hot-and-sour soup.

3. LAVENDER (Lavandula)

English lavender varieties (L. angustifolia) have the best culinary flavor.

Its flavor complements a variety of foods -- from fish, poultry and most fruits and vegetables to sauces, marinades and dressings along with beverages, baked goods and desserts. Strip the flowers from the stalk before using.

4. NASTURTIUMS (Tropaeolum majus)

Arguably the all-star of edible flowers, with a somewhat spicy, peppery tang similar to watercress. (Both leaves and blooms are edible.) Flower colors range from a moonlit yellow to bright yellow, orange, scarlet and red. Sprinkle flowers over salads, vegetables, pastas, stir-fries and meat dishes, or blend with salsas, cream cheese or butter.

5. PINKS (Dianthus)

Delicate flavor with hint of cloves, though the taste can vary slightly among species.

Spice up hot tea or cider, float the flowers in cream soups, sprinkle over fruit salads or bake into cookies.

6. ROSES (Rosa)

All rose types vary greatly in flavor -- from full-bodied floral to pleasantly sweet and floral, to slightly metallic or even overtones of ginger -- so it's best to taste-test first.

Use petals to flavor honey, beverages, a sorbet or fruit compote or make a classic rose-petal jam.

7. SCENTED GERANIUMS (Pelargonium)

Diversity of scents from nutmeg or ginger to citrus, chocolate and peppermint. Best-flavored blooms come from rose-, peppermint- and lemon-scented varieties.

Season ice cream or sorbet, sprinkle over desserts and drinks, or freeze them into ice cubes.

8. SQUASH (Cucurbita)

The giant of culinary flowers, all squash flowers are edible -- both winter and summer squash-- though zucchini tends to produce the largest flowers. The texture is somewhat crisp with a sweet zucchini-like flavor, only milder.

The large yellow blooms are perfect for stuffing or deep frying.

Source: https://www.popsugar.com/food/Burrata-Stuffed-Squash-Blossom-Recipe-24576816

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