Roses, violets, daisies and nasturtiums are not only delightful to look at - they are edible, too. Their petals and blossoms give salads and desserts, smoothies, syrups and teas a unique and special flavor.
Image: cc-by-Romel Sanchez
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Flower power: 9 flowers you can eat
Roses, violets, daisies and nasturtiums are not only delightful to look at - they are edible. Their petals and blossoms give salads and desserts, smoothies, syrups and teas a unique and special flavor.
Image: imago/blickwinkel
Botanical accents
Many cultures use flowers in traditional cooking. Candied or even deep-fried, pickled or picked fresh before sprinkling on salads or soups, petals and blossoms add a splash of color and flavor. Here are DW's nine favorite flowery treats.
Image: cc-by-Romel Sanchez
Tasty climber
Nasturtium with its peppery aroma is a colorful and spicy addition to any meal. Actually, the entire winding, trailing part of the plant that is above ground is edible. The buds can be pickled and used like capers.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images
Overflowing abundance
The elder tree's frothy, fragrant blossoms can be used to make tea, liqueur, syrup, jelly, and vinegar. A special treat: elderflower fritters.
Image: imago/Chromorange
Roses are red....
Raid your vase of its fragrant roses: Rose petals enhance many a dish, particularly cakes and desserts. In Middle Eastern cuisine, the petals are distilled into rose water for concentrated flavor.
Image: Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images
...Violets are blue
Candied violets, a beautiful extra on cakes and desserts, spring to mind immediately when it comes to edible buds. The petals are delicate to the taste, and can also lend their aroma to salads and soups.
Image: imago
The humble daisy
Often considered a weed, English daisies brighten uniform green lawns, and children love to pick them to make daisy chains and necklaces. The tiny flower buds and petals can be eaten in salads and sandwiches.
Image: imago
Legitimization of a weed
The dandelion is another weed most gardeners would like to eradicate. But it's quite multi-talented: Every bit of the plant is edible. Young buds are tasty fried in butter. More than just a bright yellow garnish for soups and salads, dandelion flowers are also known for being made into wine and jellies.
Image: Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images
A burst of sunshine
Calendula is also called "poor man's saffron." Our ancestors used the petals to give soups, gravies and butter a yellowish hue. The bright yellow or orange flower is also well known for its medicinal use.
Image: imago/blickwinkel
Dainty garnish
Pansies are one of the many hundred viola species. In Germany, the dainty plant is called the "stepmother" (Stiefmutter). The petals with their sweet to tart flavor are a colorful supplement to confections, salads and soups.
Image: imago
Sweet crunch
The mild, slightly sweet blossoms of the garden pea can be eaten raw, and they taste like - peas. But don't confuse them with ornamental pea flowers, which can be toxic! Do you have a favorite flower recipe? Send it to us at: facebook.english@dw.de.
Image: imago/blickwinkel
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A delicious extra, flowers add color and flavor to many dishes, from savory salads to sweet deserts - and some are more subtle in taste than others.
You might think it's quite daring to sprinkle calendula petals on your salad. Using flowers in preparing food is by no means a novel idea, however, it's a tradition that goes back thousands of years and spans the world.
Just think of rose water, saffron from crocuses, and candied flower treats - violets in particular have been a favorite in Europe for hundreds of years. Grown everywhere, flowers were and are readily available to everyone.
If you like broccoli and cauliflower, you're eating flowers, too. We eat the tiny flower buds of the broccoli plant and the closely packed undeveloped white flower cauliflower buds - basically one big flower head.
Click through the gallery above for more tasty buds.
