Know Your Flowers If You Want To Eat Them
The food that we eat arouses at least four vital senses, or sometimes more. Perhaps that is why we have come to enjoy food so much, well beyond the satiety needed to relieve our hunger or fulfill our nutritional needs. The first sense that is aroused is that of sight. Over the course of our lifetime, we learn to appreciate that which is pleasurable, or unpleasurable, when we first see it. The second sense triggered by food relatively long before we ingest it is smell. Indeed, the aroma of food has as much to do with how it tastes than any "taste buds" within the nerve pathways of our mouths.
The third sense is that of touch. The food industry now spends millions of dollars each year perfecting the texture of our commercial food products. And finally, of course, is the sense of taste, a complicated chemical interaction between certain constituents of food and those many bumpy nerve endings that makeup the surface of our tongues.
Edible flowers provoke all of those senses, releasing within our brains a whole range of chemical mediators that give us a sense or enhance our perceptions of what is enjoyable and what is not. Usually, flowers have been most commonly employed as decorative garnishes, showing to the consumer that some degree of care went into the preparation and serving of the food. The eating of the garnish has had a history that has waxed and waned in popularity over the years.
Humans have probably eaten flowers from the beginning of prehistoric times. It is unlikely, though, that those early wanderers used them for decoration. Food was sparse and anything that could quench their hunger was consumed. Because some flowers are poisonous, or cause gastric distress of a lesser magnitude even in small amounts, prehistoric man probably learned by trial and error which flowers to avoid and which ones to make part of a meal.
The recorded history of edible flowers dates well back to before the birth of Christ, to ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Rome. One of the most popular edible flowers of today, lavender, was known by another name. In addition to being eaten, lavender was the "ointment of spikenard" that Mary used to anoint the feet of Jesus before wiping them with her hair.
Today, edible flowers are enjoying a period of ever increasing popularity. Before you join this trend, however, it is important to appreciate that you should not just eat any flower. Most of the rules for choosing one are primarily a matter of simply following common sense. Flowers and garnishes served in restaurants must, by law be safe and edible, but presuming that the restaurateur knows all the laws can, at times, be a major leap of faith.
Some flowers are quite poisonous and need to be avoided. Others have a high potential to be allergic, especially if their pollen is still present, and even small amounts can cause an upset stomach or worse. Edible flowers sold in supermarkets and other food stores are almost always safe, but you should not buy edible flowers from a florist.
It is important to know the history of the flowers you might eat. Those that have been treated or sprayed with pesticides may carry chemicals you are better off not ingesting. The same is true for many fertilizers that are incorporated into the plant from treated soil. If you are not going to purchase your edible flowers from a known, reputable supplier who has grown them organically without added chemicals, you are better off to grow your own.
If you grow your own, pick them early in the morning when their moisture content is high. They can be washed gently in diluted salt water. The white tip, near their base at the stem, should be cut off, as it tends to be unpleasantly bitter. Edible flowers can be stored in the cold in zip lock bags with a little ice, but the fresher they are when used, the better. They should be used within a few hours, at most, of picking.
Nutritionally, little is known about edible flowers. Rose hips are very rich in vitamin C. Dandelion flowers, and probably other similarly colored flowers, contain vitamin A and vitamin C. Some of the leaves are good sources of iron, calcium, and phosphorus, as well as perhaps some vitamins. In reality, though, edible flowers are usually about 95 percent water, and we consume them in such small amounts that it is unlikely they will have any significant nutritional impact.
The most popular edible flowers are probably lavender, day lilies, lilac, pansies, tulips, begonias, fuchsia, geraniums, nasturtium, violas and old fashioned roses. Almost all of the herb flowers are fair game and the list of other safe options numbers in the hundreds.
It is hard to compile a list of poisonous plants. Some are universally toxic to everyone, but many have a "relative toxicity" depending on the individual susceptibility of the consumer.
Amaryllis, azalea, ivy, boxwood, buttercup, caladium, calla, daffodil, daphne, unripe elderberry, elephant ear, foxglove, holly, hyacinth, iris, and lily of the valley will make everyone's list of plants to avoid. So, too, will mistletoe berries, morning glory, narcissus, oleander and many others. Several Internet web sites will provide a more complete listing.
There are many edible plants that can be safely used to bring joy and pleasure. Use common sense and know which ones to avoid.
Dr. Huber is the director of the Texas Nutrition Institute, a not-for-profit program serving the needs of the people of East Texas. Do you have a question or a topic idea for Dr. Huber? E-mail him at huber1997@aol.com
The third sense is that of touch. The food industry now spends millions of dollars each year perfecting the texture of our commercial food products. And finally, of course, is the sense of taste, a complicated chemical interaction between certain constituents of food and those many bumpy nerve endings that makeup the surface of our tongues.
Edible flowers provoke all of those senses, releasing within our brains a whole range of chemical mediators that give us a sense or enhance our perceptions of what is enjoyable and what is not. Usually, flowers have been most commonly employed as decorative garnishes, showing to the consumer that some degree of care went into the preparation and serving of the food. The eating of the garnish has had a history that has waxed and waned in popularity over the years.
Humans have probably eaten flowers from the beginning of prehistoric times. It is unlikely, though, that those early wanderers used them for decoration. Food was sparse and anything that could quench their hunger was consumed. Because some flowers are poisonous, or cause gastric distress of a lesser magnitude even in small amounts, prehistoric man probably learned by trial and error which flowers to avoid and which ones to make part of a meal.
The recorded history of edible flowers dates well back to before the birth of Christ, to ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Rome. One of the most popular edible flowers of today, lavender, was known by another name. In addition to being eaten, lavender was the "ointment of spikenard" that Mary used to anoint the feet of Jesus before wiping them with her hair.
Today, edible flowers are enjoying a period of ever increasing popularity. Before you join this trend, however, it is important to appreciate that you should not just eat any flower. Most of the rules for choosing one are primarily a matter of simply following common sense. Flowers and garnishes served in restaurants must, by law be safe and edible, but presuming that the restaurateur knows all the laws can, at times, be a major leap of faith.
Some flowers are quite poisonous and need to be avoided. Others have a high potential to be allergic, especially if their pollen is still present, and even small amounts can cause an upset stomach or worse. Edible flowers sold in supermarkets and other food stores are almost always safe, but you should not buy edible flowers from a florist.
It is important to know the history of the flowers you might eat. Those that have been treated or sprayed with pesticides may carry chemicals you are better off not ingesting. The same is true for many fertilizers that are incorporated into the plant from treated soil. If you are not going to purchase your edible flowers from a known, reputable supplier who has grown them organically without added chemicals, you are better off to grow your own.
If you grow your own, pick them early in the morning when their moisture content is high. They can be washed gently in diluted salt water. The white tip, near their base at the stem, should be cut off, as it tends to be unpleasantly bitter. Edible flowers can be stored in the cold in zip lock bags with a little ice, but the fresher they are when used, the better. They should be used within a few hours, at most, of picking.
Nutritionally, little is known about edible flowers. Rose hips are very rich in vitamin C. Dandelion flowers, and probably other similarly colored flowers, contain vitamin A and vitamin C. Some of the leaves are good sources of iron, calcium, and phosphorus, as well as perhaps some vitamins. In reality, though, edible flowers are usually about 95 percent water, and we consume them in such small amounts that it is unlikely they will have any significant nutritional impact.
The most popular edible flowers are probably lavender, day lilies, lilac, pansies, tulips, begonias, fuchsia, geraniums, nasturtium, violas and old fashioned roses. Almost all of the herb flowers are fair game and the list of other safe options numbers in the hundreds.
It is hard to compile a list of poisonous plants. Some are universally toxic to everyone, but many have a "relative toxicity" depending on the individual susceptibility of the consumer.
Amaryllis, azalea, ivy, boxwood, buttercup, caladium, calla, daffodil, daphne, unripe elderberry, elephant ear, foxglove, holly, hyacinth, iris, and lily of the valley will make everyone's list of plants to avoid. So, too, will mistletoe berries, morning glory, narcissus, oleander and many others. Several Internet web sites will provide a more complete listing.
There are many edible plants that can be safely used to bring joy and pleasure. Use common sense and know which ones to avoid.
Dr. Huber is the director of the Texas Nutrition Institute, a not-for-profit program serving the needs of the people of East Texas. Do you have a question or a topic idea for Dr. Huber? E-mail him at huber1997@aol.com
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