In this age of Instagram and food photography on social media, very edible flowers can often be seen illuminating photos of salads, soups, meat dishes, etc.
But, say Portuguese researchers, flowers are not just beautiful decorations. Scientists from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, the University of Porto and the University of Aveiro in Portugal analyzed the phytochemical composition of burdock and centaurea, two popular edible flowers.
Overall, their findings suggest that “daily consumption of edible flowers may contribute to the supply of some macronutrients, vitamins and organic acids to the human diet.”
The study, published in the journal International Nutrition Surveyalso concluded that consumption of the petals of these flowers, in particular, can contribute to the recommended dose of vitamin E (mainly alpha-tocopherols) based on 100 g dry weight of each petal at all flower stages.
What is in the flower?
Further analysis of flowers collected from the greenhouse of the Agricultural School of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança was carried out on flowers at different stages of development (hard bud stage, mature bud stage and fully opened).
They then analyzed the content of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fatty acids, vitamin E and carotenoids, a pigment compound associated with eye health benefits and more.
The nutritional value of both flowers was very similar. The main differences were that centaurea had fewer calories and total dietary fiber, while burdock was higher in fatty acids and carotenoids.
Looking only at the true petals, without the buds, burdock had the lowest carotenoids.
“Despite the low content of some compounds … Therefore, these characteristics may encourage the use of edible flowers (whole flowers and petals) for human consumption,” they concluded.
Flower power
Both centaurea and burdock have a long history of culinary use.
Centauri (Cyanus Centaurea), also called “blue corn” or “bachelor’s button”, is a plant native to Europe. Its flowers are not fragrant, but taste like a spicy sweet. Centaurea leaves are ideal for mixing with other flowers to spice up dishes, for sprinkling on salads, and can be used as an ingredient in tea.
Constellation (Borago officinalis) is an annual herb, native to some parts of the Mediterranean region, and cultivated for medicinal and culinary uses, but primarily for its seed oil. Fertile flowers they are also blue and rarely appear white or pink. The petals have a cucumber-like taste and the stems give a hint of sweetness. Flowers are used in vegetable dishes and fruit salads, to decorate soups or to decorate desserts, as well as in ice cubes for summer drinks.
