Edible flowers feels like it's a fairly recent craze, which is why it might surprise you to learn that we were writing about the topic over ten years ago. Now that we've gotten how cool and avant-garde we are out of the way, it's time for an updated look at the world of edible flowers to learn more about contemporary trends for the Instagram generation.
These days it seems like people have gone edible flower daft and are adding fresh flower petals to just about everything. From teas, cocktails and gins to cakes, salads and main dishes, edible flowers are cropping up everywhere. One of the main reasons for this resurgence in interest for edible flowers seems to be an aesthetic one - for a generation so obsessed with image sharing social media outlets, edible flowers provide the perfect fodder for enlivening feeds with something a bit different whilst garnering likes at the same time.
Food themed reality TV shows have also inspired people to pursue fresh flowers as baking ingredients, which in turn has led to many major supermarket outlets to stock edible flowers on their shelves. You can also grow your own, but please bear in mind that not all flowers are edible. Poppies, tulips, daffodils, irises, hyacinths, delphinium and calla lilies are poisonous and should not be consumed under any cirumstances. If you aren't sure whether a flower is edible or not, we would always strongly advise that you err on the side of caution!
Provided that you're absolutely certain they're chemical and pesticide-free, there are many flowers which are safe to use, including lavender, marigolds, violas, roses, pansies and chrysanthemums. As well as these favourite staples, new trends in edible flowers include monkey flowers, dianthus, cornflowers and nasturtiums.
As well as the aesthetic benefit of adding flowers to food and drinks, there's also the potential to unlock powerful flavours to make your dishes unique and unusual. Perfect if you're hosting a dinner party and you wish to impress friends and family by serving up something memorable, both visually and in terms of taste.
We'd be keen to hear about your forays into the world of edible flowers. Do you have an inspired edible flower recipe that you'd like to share with us? Let us know and we'll feature your recipe on the blog!
