Edible Flowers for Different Food Preparations
摘要
Worldwide, edible flowers are a topic of interest in gastronomy and scientific research. However, their consumption, known as floriphagia, is as old as the beginning of the great civilizations of humanity. To date, floriphagia has gained significant relevance due to new gastronomic trends and potential health benefits. This chapter aims to introduce the different culinary preparations for edible flowers and the trends to generate added value in them. Edible flowers are mainly classified by their need for heat treatment before culinary preparation. The type of cooking method to which edible flowers are subjected depends on the texture and chemical composition of the flower. The main dishes that include flowers are salads, soups, creams, stews, desserts, pickled flowers, or as spices. Among the trends to generate added value, drying processes, modified atmospheres, and bioactive compound and pigment extraction stand out. In conclusion, despite the great progress that has been made on the properties of fresh edible flowers, information regarding the nutritional properties of cooked flowers still needs to be made available. Moreover, it is essential to continue developing processes that allow the incorporation of edible flowers into processed foods and thus generate novel, nutritious, and attractive functional foods for the consumer.