The way the trend of floral food is appealing to palates, growing your own food is only set to become prettier
The culinary use of flowers dates back to centuries ago. Many cultures use flowers in their traditional cooking. While the influence of west Asian traders first introduced petals into cooking pots in India, today it is a blooming trend. From pansies in popsicles to mustard in sushi and lavender frosting on cupcakes, chefs today are experimenting with fragrant, flavoursome and exotic edible flowers in their menus.
Back to basics
Flowers are used in Indian cuisine nationwide. The mouth-watering rogan Josh is not reddened by tomatoes, but by ratanjyot, extracted from the cockscomb flower, locally known as mawal. Chef Abbas Bhat, executive chef, RK Sarovar Portico, Srinagar, says, “Wazwan cooking cannot be imagined without the cockscomb flower. It is the key ingredient in the much-relished signature dish of Kashmiri wazwan — aloo bukhara, rogan Josh, lahabi kebeb, and so on.”
Similarly, banana flowers are used extensively in Bengali and south Indian cooking in Tamil Nadu. These are used in deep-fried vadas or stir-fried with coconut. They are used to make a spicy dish in Bengali cuisine. Drumstick flowers are stirfried with brinjal to make sojne phul bhaja in West Bengal, where pumpkin flowers and buds are batter-fried and enjoyed as snacks. Gulkand, a rose-petal mash is used on its own, in paan or various desserts in northern and central India.
There is growing commitment and awareness in the culinary world to source ingredients from nature. Floral ingredients not only offer immense opportunities, but also add to the novelty value of dishes. Some flowers are already being eaten in their purest form, with a number of gourmet foods suppliers offering edible flowers for cooks, including products such as safflower, marigold, cornflower, hibiscus, rose, gerbera and carnation petals. Kirti Chadha, a Chandigarh-based mother, mixes flowers from her garden with lemonade and fresh juices turn them into ice-creams and popsicles for her children. Sugared or candied petals are also available to enhance premium desserts and confections, including the likes of rose, mimosa, violet and lavender. Recipes for pansy-, rose- or nasturtiumbased salads now more widely promoted. Chef Nishant Choubey, from New Delhi based Dusit Devarana, rustles up a beautiful looking and even better-tasting detox salad using lavender and Japanese honeysuckle. He says, “My inspiration behind the dish is to give a completely new look and texture by adding lavender, basil flowers and Japanese honey suckle to beetroot and goat cheese. Japanese honeysuckle is also used in Oriental medicine as it helps in bringing down the blood sugar level. It is also a natural detoxifier and cleanses the liver and kidney. Lavender is the best to boost immunity.”
Expanded flavours
In the endeavour of making the dishes look beautiful, chefs started using edible flowers, and for a long time, the roles of flowers were limited to beautification only. And so were the types of flowers that were used in kitchens. But the gradual association of chefs with botanists, chemists, and naturalists changed the way flowers were looked upon. Now flowers are used to add particular flavour and the desired texture in prepared dishes. Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add colour, flavour and a little adventure. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant. The range is surprising. Says Naina de Bois Juzan, owner of Le Bistro Du Parc in Delhi, who adds nasturtiums to a goat cheese terrine and makes creme brulee with lavenders, “Working with flowers is fun because there is a huge bunch of flavours that a garden can offer. Right from sweet and bitter to light, peppery and citrus, there are a range of tastes that a flower can add to the dish.”
A light touch of floral essence or an infusion in a dessert, or a syrup or floral liqueur for artisanal cocktails can give an edgy accent to them. At The Hungry Monkey, in New Delhi, the heady elderflower cordial is used in a tequilabased cocktail, which tastes like heaven in the summer. As the trend picks up in India, chefs are open to experimenting with Indian origin flowers such as jasmine, marigold and hibiscus. Lolita Sarkar, creative chef and founder, Desi Deli, says, “An edible flower completes the luxe vision of any dish and imparts a multi-sensory experience to the dish. I do a Desi Brulee with roses and pistachios. The fragrance surrounds you at every bite, but the taste has a light touch that is heavenly.”
The lawns outside the spacious Dramz whiskey bar in Mehrauli are a riot of colours, with seasonal flowers and microgreens, all of which find their way to the plates churned out by Chef Pankaj Sharma. “The best part is that flowers are seasonal and are very fragile; that’s why one has to procure it from the local terrain and this adds that uniqueness and personality in the food. I feel our knowledge about flowers and its use and application is limited. The use of flowers in the kitchen is here to stay; it’s more a trend than fad.”
“Edible flowers have distinct taste, and no matter how flat the palate of the diner, it makes a difference,” says chef Ting Yan, from Yuuka, in Mumbai’s Palladium Hotel. Yen uses a mix of flowers such as fragrant marigold, tangy calendula, sweet viola and peppery nasturtium for his signature creations such as Salmon on Fire and Salmon Truffle. While these products and ideas are still restricted primarily to upscale cuisine and gourmand consumers, the flavours industry is now placing more attention on floral tastes and this will help to widen opportunities for flower concepts in the food and drinks arena.
To date, the impact of floral flavours has been most pronounced in the soft drinks market, perhaps as a spin-off from their past use in herbal teas.
More than flavours
While they can enhance the appearance and/ or flavour of finished food and drinks, the opportunities for flowers certainly do not end there. There are a lot of health benefits packed in the buds. Many of the common herb flowers, such as basil, borage, rosemary, dill, oregano and thyme have the same flavour and medicinal value as the leaves, just not as intense. And the numerous varieties of mint can be added to the edible flowers list, such as apple, orange and chocolate, add a wide array of zest and flavor, besides calming the stomach and aiding digestion. Flowers are natural plant foods, and like many plant foods in nature, often contain valuable nutrients for your health. For instance, dandelions contain numerous antioxidant properties and flavonoids, including four times the beta-carotene of broccoli, as well as lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin. They’re also a rich source of vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, pyroxidine, niacin, and vitamins E and C.
Talking about the goodness of some fresh blooms, Chef Nishant Choubey says, “Fresh flowers act as an antioxidants and curb down the fatty nature of the food.
Fresh edible flowers also have anti-ageing properties, and some edible flowers have anticancer quality as well.” Chef Abbas Bhat from RK Sarovar Portico says, “Cockscomb not only adds fragrance and flavour to the dish, but also has many health benefits such as treatment for intestinal worms, blood ailments and liver and kidney issues.
Flowers are instant alleviators to anything — homes, moods, and now, even food.