Chris Reads: Edible Flowers

Edible Flowers

by Monica Nelson

Arugula was considered an aphrodisiac by Virgil, the ancient Egyptians used basil for embalming and in the tomb of Tutankhamen, the cornflowers were still blue after three millennia. If you find any of this compelling, I highly recommend Monica Nelson’s “Edible Flowers,” which is packed with weird, fun, interesting and occasionally useful information about 100 different flowers. Goldenrod was used as a tea substitute after the Boston Tea Party, and Julius Caesar’s soldiers flogged themselves with nettles to stay alert.

On a culinary note, marigolds were churned with cream to add a richer color, mustard is planted in vineyards to help aerate the soil and hops can be used to flavor dishes much like bay leaf. My favorite tidbit is the variety of names used for violets, including love-lies-bleeding and Jack-jump-up-and-kiss-me. Also compelling is the depth of medicinal and culinary knowledge regarding plants that have gone to seed, as it were. Our connection to the natural world was once a thing of great joy and value, now restricted to the works of dedicated researchers like Nelson.

Christopher Kimball

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Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."