Good Stuff to Try from Your Backyard: Edible Flowers
I’ve been watching a lot of Black Foragers’ videos lately and obviously she’s the inspiration for this blog post. If don’t know her yet, then what are you doing? Go check her videos on Facebook! But not right after you finished reading this article!
A lot of times, when we want to express love or gratitude, we give people flowers — usually wrapped in bouquets with colorful bows and ribbons. Anyone who receives such will feel the sincerity of your intentions. But what about taking stuff on a different, unique level? What about cooking these flowers for a change?
Today, we will be looking at flowers found in the Philippines that you can totally eat. So, care to grab your basket and take a stroll in your garden?
Banana blossoms
Banana trees are very abundant in the Philippines. Aside from the fruit, Filipino locals also enjoy eating the banana blossoms, which are locally known as ‘bulaklak ng saging.’ Bulaklak is the Filipino term for flower while saging is translated as banana.
Locals usually enjoy banana blossoms sautéed with coconut milk, deep fried like burger patties, or incorporated with other Filipino dishes like paksiw na pata (pork leg simmered to tenderness with soy sauce and vinegar.
Bulaklak ng Kalabasa
Bulaklak ng Kalabasa or squash flowers are usually mixed in local dishes like sinigang (tamarind stew), or just sautéed and is paired with fried fish. But one of my favorites is stuffed squash flowers. The orange blooms are filled with seasoned ground meat and is baked or fried. A complete 10 out of 10!
Blue Ternate
Looking for ways to add to color to your white rice? Just top your rice with blue ternate flowers after the water have subsided. The next thing you knew, you already have a vibrant purplish-blue rice for dinner!
A perennial plant (plants that can live up to three growing seasons or two years), blue ternate flower is sometimes referred to as butterfly pea flower due to its resemblance with the pea plant. When planted in a moist, neutral soil, its vines will climb up on the trellis and will bloom abundantly with its blue flowers.
Aside from dyeing your rice blue, you can also add blue ternate flower in salads and spring rolls.
Studies have shown that these little shrubs are rich in the chemical called acetylcholine which helps prevent memory loss. Blue ternate flowers are also beneficial to the brain, skin, and hair among others.
Rose
One of the most popular and common flower given in every special day and occasion. Roses have become part of every Valentine’s Day, debuts, wedding, and anniversaries. But aside from being a décor, do you know that you can also infuse roses to create rose tea, add them in salads for more color and unique taste or use them as garnishes in desserts and drinks.
However, before you go picking the roses your significant other has given you for Valentine’s Day and stuffing them into your mouth, remember that commercially-available roses are usually sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals to prolong their freshness. If you want to transform this bloom into a dish, it’s best to use homegrown roses instead.
Bougainvillea
Now, I’m a bit surprised with this one. I used to play with these cute little flowers and use as a confetti during the fake wedding of my childhood friends not knowing that you can also include them into your wedding menu.
Albeit bougainvillea has a slight hint of bitter taste, you can turn them into teas just like roses, use them as an accompaniment in salads, or dip them in a batter before deep frying for instant healthy chips.
Sunflower
The flower that rivals roses during holidays and celebrations, sunflowers are slowly gaining popularity recently. I’m certain that you’ve known sunflowers as a food because of their seeds, which are gathered from matured sunflowers.
But not only are their seeds edible but virtually all parts starting from the flower all the way down to the roots. Just like the other flowers, sunflower petals can be a great addition to salads or turned into a tea. The roots can be roasted or sliced thin and then fried, can be added to coleslaws or can be eaten raw.
Cosmos
Cosmos are bright, little flowers that bloom abundantly during the summer season, bringing wonderful colors to your garden. Aside from the flowers, you can also add their leaves into salads or eaten raw.
Quick fact: the name cosmos is derived from the Greek word ‘kosmos,’ which translates to order and harmony.
Begonia
Aside from being a wonderful addition to your interior space’s design, you can also add begonia’s leaves and flowers to your salad or can be eaten raw. Begonias have this slightly bitter aftertaste.
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums stray away from the common bitter aftertastes of edible flowers as these bright yellow or red flowers are said to have spicy and peppery taste. They can be added into salads or squished in between sandwiches to spice up your meal.
Eating Blooms
Just a rule of thumb before you go buying these flowers at your local florist’s shop, make sure that every flower you will incorporate into your every meal is organically grown and is isn’t sprayed with harmful chemicals. Instead of bringing delight and color to your food, it might actually do more harm.
You can look for specific recipes for each flower online to try a variety of dishes to serve your family. However, if you are asthmatic or have cases of allergy (like pollen allergy), it’s much better to stray away from them.
These flowers are rich in vitamins and minerals and it’s ultimately fun to try new and exciting stuff. So, if you’ve already cleared all the conditions along the way, then what’s stopping your from munching on these blooms?
And to end this blog, I’m gonna borrow Black Forager’s tagline for a moment (because I really love it when she says that before ending her videos): happy snacking, don’t die!
