As the Average Joe and Jane become more interested in the culinary arts, gourmet trends like edible flowers are increasing in popularity. Just look at the number of lavender desserts that popped up in Phoenix last year: blueberry-lavender ice cream at Roy's, lavender streusel at Bourbon Steak, strawberry-lavender jelly sandwich cookies from Sweet Pea Bakery.
But if you think it's as simple as plucking a bud from the garden and throwing it into your cheesecake batter, you'd better be prepared for a mouthful of perfume. "Not all lavender is equal," says Desert Botanical Garden horticulturist Kirti Mathura.
Certain hybrids and stronger wild lavenders are better suited to potpourri, while Mathura recommends English lavender for cooking. "I have friends who use [it] for tea or lemonade," she says. "One friend of mine makes shortbread cookies from lavender."
"Depending on the type of basil, you'll get a different taste," she tells New Times. "Cinnamon basil has flowers with a lot of nectar, which makes it very sweet."
Where exactly do you find edible flowers if you aren't lucky enough to have some growing on your property or in your windowsill?
Upscale grocery stores such as AJ's Fine Foods and Whole Foods sometimes stock edible flowers. Last week, Arizona Homegrown Solutions still had bags of edible wildflowers for $3 at the Phoenix Downtown Public Market.
Desert Botanical Garden also offers edible plants and flowers at their annual Spring and Fall plant sales (though you'll have to wait until November for the next one).
