For ages, flowers have been eaten for their medicinal and nutritional values. In fact, flowers like Daylily buds and Chrysanthemums have been used to make Oriental dishes whereas the Romans used soft petals of roses and violets to create mouthwatering dishes and drinks. Flowers not only add flavor and aroma to your food, but offer several health benefits too. Many people across Asia, specifically Indians, still use rose petals to make healthy and aromatic dishes such as rose sharbat, gulkand, and rice pudding. The flower revolution seems to hit the entire world today with the Western population using flowers to make salads and punches.
Do you know flowers contain vitamin C and vitamin A, but not all of them can be eaten? Therefore, it is important to try only those flowers that you know very well. For example, if you are suffering from allergy or asthma, you should avoid using flowers like calendula, chrysanthemum, English daisy, and marigold. Also remember, that you should eat only those flowers, which are organically cultivated. As flowers available with florists and nurseries are often meant for decoration, they may contain harmful chemicals or pesticides. Instead, go to a gourmet market to locate stocks fresh or frozen flowers.
Listed below are some interesting ways to use flowers to create tasty and healthy recipes for the entire family:
Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) Use Chamomile to add apple-like flavor in your salads and cold drinks. It can also be added to herbal tea. The use of this flower promotes peaceful sleep, cures asthma and toothache.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) This flower has a tangy, piquant taste, and a beautiful saffron color, which goes well with salads or soups. You can also use it for making sandwiches. This flower has antispasmodic properties and cures you from various types of ulcers, colitis, and cramps.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) It is a beautiful and tasty flower, which can be used to make soft drinks and punches. It can relieve you from flatulence and sore throat.
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) Add Chrysanthemum to your tea or cool drinks. You can also use it to garnish desserts. The flower contains Vitamin A, vitamin B, and amino acids. It has a calming effect on your nerves and relieves symptoms related to cold and flu.
Rose (Rosa species) You can use small varieties of this flower to garnish ice cream and desserts. It can also be used over desserts or salads. Rose contains vitamin C and anti-oxidants. How about freezing them in ice cubes and adding them in punches and cool drinks? With their sweet, scented flavor, they make an effective remedy for headaches.