Flowers You Can Eat
2020-06-23
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1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
2Flowers are an important part of our natural world.
3Their beauty and smell can make us happy.
4Flowers serve as food for insects, birds, and animals. And they can also feed us!
5Some flowers add color, unexpected taste, and beauty to food and drinks.
6And more people are adding them to their meals.
7To find out more, we talked with a few Americans who like to grow and eat their own flowers.
8Kathy Jentz is the publisher of Washington Gardener magazine.
9She also gives talks to Washington, D.C. area gardeners.
10She tells them how to grow and use edible flowers.
11Jentz says the way to prepare most edible flowers for your next dish or meal is to wash them lightly under water.
12Then remove the white parts of the flower.
13She also says to cut off the pistil and stamen.
14When speaking about edible flowers, Jentz often begins with three talking points:
15Know your flowers. Which ones are safe to eat?
16Know the source. Where did the flowers come from?
17Know your allergies. Which plants are you allergic to?
18Some flowers are poisonous and can make you sick.
19There are a few flowers that people think are edible, Jentz says, even though they are poisonous.
20The most common are buttercup and sweet pea.
21She says the flower of the sweet pea should not be mixed up with the flower of the pea plant, which is a vegetable.
22Other poisonous flowers are azalea, wisteria, and fox glove.
23Now, here is a quick list of common edible flowers.
24Dandelion
25Nasturtium
26Marigold
27Borage
28Violet
29Lavender
30Lilac
31Chrysanthemum
32Chamomile
33Rose
34Daylily
35Hibiscus
36One of the best edible flowers to start with is the dandelion.
37Jentz says they are nutritious, and you can eat the entire plant, not just the flower.
38This is not true for many edible flowers.
39Nasturtium is easy to grow and, Jentz says, has a peppery taste.
40It is perfect for container gardening and for people living in a hot, big city.
41This flower often grows well in very difficult conditions.
42"A container-grown flower that works really is nasturtium. It actually prefers container growing to being in the ground. The worst conditions you can give nasturtium -- the better it grows."
43Many people add nasturtium to fruit or green salads.
44One such person is Elizabeth Lyttleton, a mother and cycling activist in the D.C. area.
45In warm weather, Lyttleton says she grows nasturtium on her front doorstep.
46She likes to add its flowers to salads or serve with other foods.
47Also, in the D.C. area, Roshani Kothari says she has been growing and eating edible flowers for many years.
48She says that herbs are great ways to get into the world of edible flowers.
49Flowers from mint, rosemary, dill, oregano, cilantro, and sage add a little flavor of the herb.
50But they are not as strong as the leaves of the plant.
51Kothari says one of her favorite herbs is cilantro.
52"And cilantro is easy to grow in a pot. If you let it go to flower, it will come back year after year. And um, it's used in so many different cultures. For example, I'm from India originally from the state of Gujarat and we use cilantro as a garnish in all the dishes we make. Without cilantro it's not quite ... quite done yet!"
53Experts say the safest way to eat edible flowers is to grow them yourself.
54If you buy from a farmer's market or a farmer, ask them directly if they used any chemicals.
55Be careful buying from a food or flower store.
56Their flowers may have been treated with dangerous chemicals.
57If you go outdoors to pick edible flowers, says Kathy Jentz, do so in a safe area.
58Do not collect flowers from an area where dog owners walk their dogs or where chemical treatments have been used.
59Jentz says her personal favorite edible flower is borage.
60She says the plant's blue star-shaped flowers taste like cucumbers.
61So, borage can go with many dishes.
62"My personal favorite is borage. The flower petals smell and taste like cucumber. The fact that you can add it on fruit salads, throw it in your gazpacho or use it to garnish a drink is a nice bonus."
63Violets are another popular edible flower.
64They have a sweet flavor. Use the violets in salads, sweet treats, and drinks.
65Also, Jentz says violets can last a long time when left in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
66But she adds it is important to cut the flowers at the right time -- just as they open.
67This is not true of all edible flowers.
68Some wilt quite fast. To avoid this, Jentz says you can use the method people have been using for centuries - dry them.
69Kothari explains that it is important to know how plants grow.
70Vegetables send out edible flowers if you let them go to seed.
71However, if you take all the flowers from your vegetable plants, our experts warn, you will not have any vegetables!
72If you want to harvest the flowers of vegetables, Jentz suggests growing a vegetable plant just for its flowers.
73Chamomile flowers are small and taste like apple.
74Chamomile is often used in tea. Jentz says chamomile flowers dry nicely and they keep their flavor.
75However, the website WebMD warns avoid chamomile "if you are allergic to these plants: ragweed, daisies, marigolds, or chrysanthemums.
76If you have allergies to ragweed and other types of pollen, Jentz advises to avoid any flower in the daisy family.
77Also, if you suffer from allergies or have other food sensitivities, Jentz suggests trying new edible flowers one at a time.
78If you eat many different ones for the first time and then get sick, you will not know which one made you sick.
79Jentz also gives this warning: Do not give edible flowers to any child under the age of four.
80And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. Have fun trying different edible flowers.
81I'm Anna Matteo.
1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. 2Flowers are an important part of our natural world. Their beauty and smell can make us happy. Flowers serve as food for insects, birds, and animals. And they can also feed us! 3Some flowers add color, unexpected taste, and beauty to food and drinks. And more people are adding them to their meals. To find out more, we talked with a few Americans who like to grow and eat their own flowers. 4Kathy Jentz is the publisher of Washington Gardener magazine. She also gives talks to Washington, D.C. area gardeners. She tells them how to grow and use edible flowers. 5Preparation 6Jentz says the way to prepare most edible flowers for your next dish or meal is to wash them lightly under water. Then remove the white parts of the flower. She also says to cut off the pistil and stamen. 7When speaking about edible flowers, Jentz often begins with three talking points: 8Know your flowers. Which ones are safe to eat? 9Know the source. Where did the flowers come from? 10Know your allergies. Which plants are you allergic to? 11Some flowers are poisonous and can make you sick. There are a few flowers that people think are edible, Jentz says, even though they are poisonous. 12The most common are buttercup and sweet pea. She says the flower of the sweet pea should not be mixed up with the flower of the pea plant, which is a vegetable. Other poisonous flowers are azalea, wisteria, and fox glove. 13Now, here is a quick list of common edible flowers. 14Dandelion 15Nasturtium 16Marigold 17Borage 18Violet 19Lavender 20Lilac 21Chrysanthemum 22Chamomile 23Rose 24Daylily 25Hibiscus 26Which edible flowers are good to start with? Dandelions! 27One of the best edible flowers to start with is the dandelion. Jentz says they are nutritious, and you can eat the entire plant, not just the flower. This is not true for many edible flowers. 28Nasturtium 29Nasturtium is easy to grow and, Jentz says, has a peppery taste. It is perfect for container gardening and for people living in a hot, big city. This flower often grows well in very difficult conditions. 30"A container-grown flower that works really is nasturtium. It actually prefers container growing to being in the ground. The worst conditions you can give nasturtium -- the better it grows." 31Many people add nasturtium to fruit or green salads. One such person is Elizabeth Lyttleton, a mother and cycling activist in the D.C. area. In warm weather, Lyttleton says she grows nasturtium on her front doorstep. She likes to add its flowers to salads or serve with other foods. 32Herb flowers 33Also, in the D.C. area, Roshani Kothari says she has been growing and eating edible flowers for many years. She says that herbs are great ways to get into the world of edible flowers. Flowers from mint, rosemary, dill, oregano, cilantro, and sage add a little flavor of the herb. But they are not as strong as the leaves of the plant. 34Kothari says one of her favorite herbs is cilantro. 35"And cilantro is easy to grow in a pot. If you let it go to flower, it will come back year after year. And um, it's used in so many different cultures. For example, I'm from India originally from the state of Gujarat and we use cilantro as a garnish in all the dishes we make. Without cilantro it's not quite ... quite done yet!" 36Know the source of the flowers 37Experts say the safest way to eat edible flowers is to grow them yourself. If you buy from a farmer's market or a farmer, ask them directly if they used any chemicals. Be careful buying from a food or flower store. Their flowers may have been treated with dangerous chemicals. 38If you go outdoors to pick edible flowers, says Kathy Jentz, do so in a safe area. Do not collect flowers from an area where dog owners walk their dogs or where chemical treatments have been used. 39Borage 40Jentz says her personal favorite edible flower is borage. She says the plant's blue star-shaped flowers taste like cucumbers. So, borage can go with many dishes. 41"My personal favorite is borage. The flower petals smell and taste like cucumber. The fact that you can add it on fruit salads, throw it in your gazpacho or use it to garnish a drink is a nice bonus." 42Violets 43Violets are another popular edible flower. They have a sweet flavor. Use the violets in salads, sweet treats, and drinks. 44Also, Jentz says violets can last a long time when left in a sealed container in the refrigerator. But she adds it is important to cut the flowers at the right time -- just as they open. 45This is not true of all edible flowers. Some wilt quite fast. To avoid this, Jentz says you can use the method people have been using for centuries - dry them. 46Vegetable flowers 47Kothari explains that it is important to know how plants grow. Vegetables send out edible flowers if you let them go to seed. 48However, if you take all the flowers from your vegetable plants, our experts warn, you will not have any vegetables! If you want to harvest the flowers of vegetables, Jentz suggests growing a vegetable plant just for its flowers. 49Chamomile 50Chamomile flowers are small and taste like apple. Chamomile is often used in tea. Jentz says chamomile flowers dry nicely and they keep their flavor. 51However, the website WebMD warns avoid chamomile "if you are allergic to these plants: ragweed, daisies, marigolds, or chrysanthemums. 52Know your own allergies 53If you have allergies to ragweed and other types of pollen, Jentz advises to avoid any flower in the daisy family. 54Also, if you suffer from allergies or have other food sensitivities, Jentz suggests trying new edible flowers one at a time. If you eat many different ones for the first time and then get sick, you will not know which one made you sick. 55Jentz also gives this warning: Do not give edible flowers to any child under the age of four. 56And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. Have fun trying different edible flowers. 57I'm Anna Matteo. 58In the Comments Section, let us know if you use flowers in your cooking and which ones! And feel free to share a recipe. 59Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 60________________________________________________________________ 61Words in This Story 62pistil - n. the part in the center of a flower that is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary and produces the seed 63stamen - n. the part of a flower that produces pollen and is made up of an anther and a filament 64allergy - n. a medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching, or breathing something that is harmless to most people allergic - adj. 65peppery - adj. having a lively, aggressive, or somewhat shocking quality 66herb - n. a plant or a part of a plant that is used as medicine or to give flavor to food 67garnish - n. something (such as lemon wedges or parsley) used 68to decorate or flavor food or drink 69petal - n. one of the soft, colorful parts of a flower 70refrigerator - n. a device or room that is used to keep things (such as food and drinks) cold 71wilt - v. of a plant : to bend over because of not having enough water