Great Treatise on Edible Flowers

History and Cuisine

The idea of eating flowers is far from being new but it is unquestioningly spreading and still surprises a good number of us. Whether rated or not, all chefs understandably succumb to their charm in the kitchen. Gastronomically speaking, aesthetics is as important as taste and colourful flowers raise the flair of a dish, delighting our view and exciting our taste buds.

What child doesn’t know that clover flowers are sweet and can be delightfully savoured like candy? And which of us, in childhood, was not drawn to tasting these beautifully coloured flowers? Wearily, all that is lovely-to-look-at is not necessarily good to eat and our ancestors had to learn the hard way. Like mushrooms, toxic flowers also exist, and are carefully listed in this book.

Among the 250 edible flowers, this Grand Treatise lingers on those flowers one is most likely to have in a backyard garden or growing on a terrace, and which are easily recognisable and found in nature. More and more flowers are being sold in in specialised stores, even in markets, both dry and now even fresh.

Flavoured butter, flowery ice-cubes, candied, served in colourful salads, condiments, deliciously flavoured creamed doughnuts, stuffed, distinctly flavoured sauces and soups, tasty, out-of-the-ordinary buffets; anything and everything goes as many of the recipes here demonstrate. Guests are sure to be delighted! And since conversation will unquestionably gravitate toward flowers, which can’t help but to draw attention, their history (origins, discovery, use in by-gone days) is also related here.

Mireille Gayet, author of numerous cook books, and recipient of several awards, gives us all the means to tackle and develop this magnificent aspect of gastronomy that is the art of cooking with flowers.