I’m only going to mention a couple of flowers in these letters. However, I do want to say that while I am sharing quite a few flowers in this mini series, it is by no means an exhaustive list. There are hundreds of edible flowers worldwide, and I’m simply pointing out the ones that are easy to find/grow and that I’m familiar with.
Feel free to do more research if you live in a different area or have flowers growing that you’d like to eat 🙂
Nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus
If you like a little spice, nasturtiums are for you! This last summer I was eating some out of my herb garden and Hiro, our young son, always likes to eat alongside me. Normally, I’m eating dandelion leaves and flowers, violas, honeysuckle, chamomile or other mild-tasting herb. So he picked one and popped it in his mouth. His reaction was awesome. He does fine with spice, so he ended up eating it, but it certainly surprised him. I didn’t see him go back for more, but he eats them when we add them to salads and rice or as a topping to other dishes like fish and roasted or steamed veggies. They’re a great source of antioxidants as well!
Oregano, Origanum officinalis
The flowers of the oregano plant (part of the mint family) have a similar flavor to the leaves, but no quite as strong. You can use them in any dish you would normally use oregano, such as infused oil/butter, vegetables or even on pizza (fancy!) ?
