You don’t have to visit a garden to look at the pretty flowers, the chefs are bringing them on your table. They are using distinct flavours of these items to add an edge to their dishes. Pansies, for instance, have a distinct peppery taste, nasturtium blossoms have a sweet, spicy flavour, marigold is citrus and is commonly used as a substitute for saffron, and lavender blossoms have a sweet, floral flavour, with lemon and citrus notes and are extensively used in desserts and savoury dishes as well.
Flowery Delights
Ask them about their favourites, and Chef Monu Kumar of The Imperial Spice proclaims he is all for calendula. “It has lot of flavours – from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Its sharp taste resembles saffron and that’s why it’s known as Poor Man’s Saffron. It has pretty petals in golden-orange hues. When sprinkled on soups and salads, it adds a beautiful yellow tint.”
At Farzi Café, Chef Saurabh Udinia likes to use rose, jasmine and lavender for garnishing and adding flavour to desserts. He says, “Edible flowers that have a delicate flavour are commonly used in desserts and salads as it is easy to discern the mild flavour of the flower on the palate.
However, when used with starters or entrees, the delicate flavour tends to get overpowered by the presence of other spices and ingredients. “We use lavender in milk to make custard and kheer. Rose is used for flavouring our famous dessert Ras Malai Tres Leches, garnished with rose petals. Besides this, we also use kokum flowers in savoury dishes, especially in lamb chops,” says Chef Udinia.
Next time when you take a bite of Sunflower Seeds Salad or Rangoon Baked Milk at Burma Burma, admire the delicate colourful flowers that Chef Ansab Khan has used to adorn the dishes. From rose petals to nasturtiums, there is a beautiful sight in front of you. For Matteo Fontana, Corporate Chef, Le Cirque, The Leela Palace New Delhi, mini dianthus is his favourite. “I like to work with a variety of flowers if I have to choose one, it would be mini dianthus,” he says.
“You can find this specific flower in different colours and in different shapes. They are slightly sweet and are great for people with hypertension and diabetes. I use edible flowers mostly while cooking fish since the delicate flavour of the fish complements with the flowers.”
Pan Seared Wild Scallops with Puy Lentils Cassoulet and Parma Ham is his dish in Le Cirque summer menu which is his best rendition with flowers. “In this particular dish I have used two kinds of Mini Dianthus, as they add a good colour contrast against the darkness of the lentil, plus with their sweet taste the edible flowers enhance the taste of the whole dish and add a proper summer touch to the whole preparation.”