Blog

By Bailey Roden, Arizona Farm Bureau Intern

Have you ever walked past a flower garden of beautiful red roses and just wanted to eat them? I can’t say that I have but some flowers are bringing their edible power to the dinner plate. While not all are consumable even those used simply for garnish make an appearance in the kitchen. More commonly seen at a fancier restaurant the flowers are used as garnish to beautify the meal. Not only that but the flowers are used during the cooking process as well to add a little more zest to that meal.

Flowers are unique and by using different ones you can alter the taste of your meal in either a positive or negative direction. Only a select few are edible. Edible flowers are so specific that in some cases only parts of the flower are edible. These are very important items to be aware of if you are consuming flowers.

Here is a list of flowers that can be used as garnishes while some may actually be consumed:

• Begonia
• Calendula
• Carnations
• Chrysanthemums
• Clover
• Cornflower
• Dame’s Rocket
• Dandelions
• Day Lilies
• English Daisy
• Fuchsia
• Garden Sorrel
• Gladiolus
• Hibiscus
• Hollyhock
• Honeysuckle
• Impatiens
• Johnny-Jump-Ups
• Lilac
• Linden
• Marigold

For more information on what flowers are edible and specifics on the flowers listed above visit What’s Cooking America. Did you know we have some wonderful flower producers? Find them at a Farmer’s Market near you! Visit Fill Your Plate for more fun and informative blogs!