One way to add a pop of color and garnish to your dish presentation is to add some edible flowers on top. Just like how flowers can light up a room, the types that are edible can add a little something special to a dish and are a great way to experiment with less-used flavors as well. It’s important to be sure you know where the flowers are coming from and how they were cared for since in some shops they may be sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals.
Calendula
Calendula’s petals are a beautiful sunny yellow, perfect for mixing into rice or salads or sprinkling over top of a dish. Their flavor is a bit bitter, so they will offset any brighter or sweeter flavors in a dish and will add a bright color to boot.
Pansies
Pansies’ deep-purple-and-white flowers are often candied with sugar and egg white and used on top of cakes or sweets. You can also use them fresh to garnish drinks, goat cheese logs, and salads. Their taste and scent are like perfume, so any dish that benefits from a floral flavor will benefit from some pansies.
Coriander Flowers
The flowers of a cilantro plant are not usually the part we eat, but they taste like a more delicate cilantro than the greens that are simply delicious with smoky flavors, sautéed with veggies, or roasted. They are little white bunches and will make your dish look like it’s fit for a fairy.
