Edible Flowers: A Global History (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781780236384)

Most of us like to look at them, but why on earth would anyone want to eat them? As Constance L. Kirker and Mary Newman show in this book, however, flowers have a long history as a tasty ingredient in a variety of cuisines. The Greeks, Romans, Persians, Ottomans, Mayans, Chinese, and Indians all knew how to cook with them for centuries, and today contemporary chefs use them to add something special to their dishes.
Edible Flowers is the fascinating history of how flowers have been used in cooking, from ancient Greek dishes to the today's molecular gastronomy and farm-to-table restaurants. Looking at flowers' natural qualities: their unique and beautiful appearance, their pungent fragrance, and their surprisingly good taste, Kirker and Newman proffer a bouquet of dishes--from soups to stews to desserts to beverages--that use them in interesting ways. Tying this culinary history into a larger cultural one, they show how flowers' cultural, symbolic, and religious connotations have added value and meaning to dishes in daily life and special occasions. From fried squash blossoms to marigold dressings, this book rediscovers the flower not just as something beautiful but as something absolutely delicious.


Author: Mary Newman, Constance L. Kirker
ISBN-10: 1780236387
ISBN-13: 9781780236384
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Language: English
Published: 10/15/2016
Pages: 144
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 7.90h x 4.80w x 0.80d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 05/01/2017