Edible Flower History

The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years with the first recorded mention being in 140 B.C. Many different cultures have incorporated flowers into their traditional foods. Oriental dishes make use of daylily buds and the Romans used mallow, rose and violets. Italian and Hispanic cultures gave us stuffed squash blossoms and Asian Indians use rose petals in many recipes. Chartreuse, a classic green liqueur developed in France in the seventeeth century, boasts carnation petals as one of its secret ingredients. And, dandelions were one of the bitter herbs referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible.