Fancy a flower? They’ve been in the human diet for as long as we’ve been hungry. Some have been elevated to religious significance while others have been lauded for their nutritional value. You can boil them, grind them to a powder, dry them or eat them raw. You can go for the roots, the stems, the bulbs, the seeds or the petals. The humble flower is a true paragon of culinary versatility. Here we offer some indulgent modern concoctions with a flowery twist.
Lotus
Lotus, particularly lotus seed, is used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine and East Asian cuisine. Lotus seeds are considered a “cooling” agent in Chinese medicine. Dried lotus seeds can be eaten raw in congee and soups, popped like popcorn, or eaten in the form of a paste common in many East Asian desserts. Most notable is the mooncake (pictured), traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Try mini-moon cakes (eight pieces for $130) from Kee Wah Bakery, 30 Wellington St., Central.
Elderflower
Elderflowers and their berries (blue or black only) contain flavonoids which possess antioxidant and immunologic properties. Historically, the flowers and leaves have been used to treat pain, swelling and inflammation. Elderflower berries have been used in food as flavoring, and in the preparation of elderberry wines and pies. Now elderflowers are popping up on cocktail menus all over the city. Try Bacar’s “Floral Fizz” mocktail ($38) or a “Mayflower” martini ($65) (pictured). But before you get too overly excited about the elderflower, be warned that its bark, leaves and seeds can be toxic as they contain the cyanogenic glycoside, sambunigrin, which is a natural defense against herbivores. Bacar, G/F, Wing Lee Building, 2 Shelley St., SoHo, Central, 2521-8322.
Lavender
The soothing scent of lavender is by no means used exclusively to refresh the bathroom or scare away moths. Lavender has many alleged medicinal uses, such as aiding sleep, healing acne and acting as an anti-inflammatory agent in treating skin burns. While lavender is commonly used in aromatherapy and teas, Café Des Artistes have stretched the imagination with its scrumptious lavender crème brûlée served with a dollop of lavender ice cream ($85, pictured). However, Executive Chef Didier Rochat warns not to put too much Lavender into the crème brûlée. “I put about 20g of Lavender per liter of cream. Otherwise, it will get too bitter,” he says. Café Des Artistes, 1/F, California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar St, Central, 2526-3880.