“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates
This is one my favorite topics. I like edible flowers for their multiple uses. They decorate your garden beautifully and atract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. They are gorgeous to display, some are fragrant and help you to sleep better just by positioning them in your bedroom. And all of them are delicious. You can be creative in using them for their color, taste, and fragrance in different ways in your cuisine.
There are many edibale flowers. Fancy restaurants often decorate their food with crystallized flowers by brushing them with egg white and dipping them in sugar. This article will discuss edible flowers that we planted in our garden. A few years ago we planted this gorgeous shrub rose in our garden. I have had so much fun with this rose making rose tea, rose drink ice cubes, rose syrup, rose jam, and even rose wine. The taste is wonderful and refreshing. Our multiple color Nasturtium tastes like pepper and makes salads colorful and fancy. Sitting in the porch with jasmine flower makes it a relaxing place with such a great fragrance. Steeping jasmine flowers in your water gives you a refreshing healthy drink. Hummingbirds love scarlet runner bean flowers and all summer dance over them in our garden. The beans are amazingly delicious with rice or any dish that calls for green beans and its beautiful red flower taste like green pea shoot. And bee balm, both flower and leaves, make one of the most delicious teas with beautiful red color if you brew them.
Edible flowers have nutritional and medicinal values. For example rose has vitamins C, A, E and calcium and iron promoting healthy skin and reducing inflamation. They have antioxidant and can help preventing cancer. Rose tea can reduce flu type symptoms and congestions and reduce coughing. The aroma of rose tea can relax and reduce anxiety and mood change. It also help you to have a relaxing sleep. It can help healthy digestion, reducing bloating and constipation. It can reduce menstrual cramps and the risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Since rose can interact with medications like blood thinner or antidepressants, you need to consult your physician if you are on any medication. As always you have to use moderation, because too much rose can give you headache, diarrhea, nausea and heartburn.
Nasturtium, both flower and leaves have similar nutritional values as rose and are especially abundant in vitamin C. However eating nasturtium may not be safe for children. For jasmine and scarlet runner bean, you can check the related posts in my blog. And finally bee balm, which is the most current addition to our garden, spreads so fast and atracts so many butterflies. It is beautiful and fragrant. Bee balm has antimicrobial, anti inflammatory and antispasmodic qualities. Because it can reduce bowel inflammation and bloating, it can be beneficial for people with Celiac Disease and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). You can infuse your balsamic vinegar or the vinegar of your choice with bee balm flowers and use it on your salad or pasta (keep it for three months in a dark place before using it.). The flowers are a gorgeous and delicious addition to your salad as well. You can also make bee balm oil and add a few drop to your shampoo or body lotion for soothing, healing, and reducing pain in your skin. 🙂
“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii
Si'Mama Cafe 