Edible flowers, a nutritious food source, are overlooked in the kitchen, although they are most commonly used for cake decorations and in fruit and flower arrangements or bouquets. For Jiao Mingyao, a cooking expert, the flowers of a plant can be eaten if the roots, stems, leaves and fruits of the plant are edible. When preparing edible flowers for cooking, I would first poach them in salt water before making a stir fry, soup, or porridge with the flowers.
For Wang Yi, from the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, the influence of floral fragrance on the liver is to relieve body tension.
Furthermore, the flowers also contain glycoside, which is believed to be beneficial for the body. For example, quercetin glycosides with antiallergic properties are found in the flower buds of Japanese butterbur, a popular vegetable.
Tonkin jasmine
My floral eating experience begins with clusters of fragrant tiny greenish-white Tonkin jasmine flowers growing on a garden vine. Whether cooked as a garlic stir fry or in a soup, Tonkin’s fresh flowers offer a unique dining experience. Overflowing with carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, this edible flora is a feast for the eyes and skin.
Moringa flower
On the other hand, I have yet to prepare a plate with the creamy white moringa flowers that grow abundantly on the neighborhood trees. A good source of calcium and potassium, this delicious flora makes a new salad or stir fry.
Banana flower
As for the banana flower, it cannot be cooked right away; white flowers should be stripped of hard pistils and scales; and the white pith, from the garnet bracts. Only after removing all these unwanted parts, the clean banana heart and florets are ready for preparation.
Thinly sliced, the banana flowers are sautéed with garlic, shallots, coriander, and salt. This native food is immensely rich in vitamins along with dietary fiber, protein, and unsaturated fatty acids.
Papaya flower
Since male papaya plants do not produce papaya fruits, their buds are picked and fried with garlic, shallots, and salt, as usual.
Regarding nutrition, the white male papaya flower is rich in vitamins A, C and E; for example, its vitamins C and E protect your liver from the damaging effects of free radicals, while its vitamin C is a cure for respiratory diseases.
All in all, the unassuming papaya bloom is a good source of dietary fiber, folate, and antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging your tissues and are good for strokes, heart disease, and diabetes.
With our diet focused on the fruit rather than the flower, we tend to neglect the flora of papaya despite its high nutritional content.
Durian flower
Then there are the strongly scented durian flowers., a harbinger of future abundance as it attracts all pollinators like fruit bats to its nectar. The yellowish petals are crisp, slightly fragrant and sweet. Like the banana flower, durian flowers should first be stripped of all superfluous parts except the stamens (without the anthers) and petals, and then lightly blanched to make a salad.
Durian flowers, rich in vitamins C and B, minerals and fiber, are observed to last only one day, during which they are pollinated and then dropped to be collected under the tree early in the morning.
Pumpkin flower
Compared to the more exotic Asian flowers, the pumpkin flower is relatively easier to prepare; only the yellow petals and bare stems are needed while the rest of the flower parts such as the calyx, sepals and stamens are discarded. With a good supply of vitamins, especially folic acid, a pumpkin flower stir-fry is a healthy culinary delight.
Luther Burbank says, “Flowers … are radiant food and medicine for the soul.” So please eat the daisies, they will cheer you up.