The history of edible flowers as food can be traced back to 140 B.C (first recorded mention about using flower for culinary purpose appears in the literature). Most of the civilizations around the world have incorporated edible flowers as food in their traditional cuisines. In this regard, Dandelion finds mention in the Bible too!

The trend of using edible flowers as food is back in vogue as announced by Brown in his book "Edible Flowers." He further announced “In the 16th and 17th century, we'd all have been eating flowers,” which slowly went out of fashion. It was quite popular then to use flower as a salad item or to preserve it in vinegar for the future use. 

Ancient Chinese, Roman, Greek, and Indian herbalists have made detailed recordings about various edible flowers used in authentic food preparations. The early Hindus, Aztecs, and Incas, realizing the importance of flowers, have included them in most of their traditional rituals, some of which are still very much in practice. 

Flower cookery was very popular in ancient Rome, China, India, and the Middle Eastern Countries. Romans used Mallow, Violets and Rose. The Italians and Spaniards used stuffed squash blossoms, the French used Carnation petals in the preparation of Chartreuse - a classic green liqueur while the Indians used Rose petals, Pumpkin flowers and Banana flowers in several food preparations. Edible flowers as food were popular in England during the medieval ages particularly during Queen Victoria’s reign. The Victorians used candied Violet flowers to decorate cakes and deserts. Ancient Egyptians stored crystallized violets and English chefs grounded them with Chicory to prepare different concoctions. It is believed that during the Renaissance, audiences enjoyed their Shakespearean dramas by relishing delicacies like stewed Primroses and Rose petal water. Medieval monks used Sweet syrups to preserve many of these edible flowers to use during winters. 

Historically, flower petals served as chief food garnishes in several salads and sauces. The petals of flowers like Carnation, Borage, Sage, Bee Balm, Nasturtium, Violet, Daylily and Calendula were commonly eaten because they were known for their medicinal properties. Dry flower petals of Jasmine, Bee Balm, Rose and Hibiscus were used for tea blending. It is believed that the guests at the Boston Tea Party in 1773 were served Bee Balm blended tea due to the shortage of black tea. 

Next time for a change, don’t forget to decorate your salad with colorful edible flowers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Image Courtesy: middlepath.com.au