As Lovely As The Flowers Could Be!

Eating Flowers Can Be Risky If Not Taken Care Of!

By: Sagrika Sanjay

Originally, processing was used simply to preserve food for consumption beyond a product's normal life cycle or place where it was grown. Until the industrial revolution, food production remained rudimentary; people generally ate what they or others living nearby could produce and preserve. In addition, food production employed a very large proportion of the population.

Today, the food industry is totally different−Demographic changes have also triggered an increasing demand for convenience foods and variety as well as nutritional quality and affordability.

Flowers in Food Processing:The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years to the Chinese, Greek, and Romans. Many cultures use flowers in their traditional cooking — think of squash blossoms in Italian food and rose petals in Indian food. Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add colour,and a little whimsy. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant. The range is surprising. 

It’s not uncommon to see flower petals used in salads, teas, and as garnish for desserts, but they inspire creative as well — roll spicy ones (like chive blossoms) into handmade pasta dough, incorporate floral ones into homemade ice cream, pickle flower buds (like nasturtium) to make ersatz capers, use them to make a floral simple syrup for use in lemonade or cocktails.

Some of the edible flowers are−Basil, Calendula/marigold, Cilantro, Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat), Clover, Dill  Fennel, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon verbena, Mint-Nasturtium, Oregano  Pansy  Radish  Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Squash and pumpkin, Sunflower,Violets; The flowers are truly a surprise!

The flowers have a strongly perfumed flavor perfect for floating in drinks or scattering across desserts, and for a variety of jams. They are edible, with flavor. Another famous edible flower, violets are floral, sweet and beautiful as garnishes. Use the flowers in salads and to garnish desserts and drinks. Sweet, spicy, and perfumed, the flowers are a great addition to both savory and sweet dishes.