Basil–Basil flowers are light pink, lavendar or white and have a more mild flavor than do the leaves. They also come in a variety of flavors like mint or lemon. Use them on top of fresh salad or with pasta.
Borage–Borage flowers are star shaped and have a beautiful light blue hue. Apparently they have a sort of cucumber taste. Borage flowers are very good in chilled soups, lemonades and punches, sorbets, and dips.
Broccoli Florets–I never knew this, but apparently broccoli florets are the flower bud of the broccoli plant. Given time, the broccoli florets would bloom a yellow flower. (Which is why of course, they are called broccoli florets.) The actual flower is mildly spicy.
Burnet–These flowers can be used interchangeably with borage. They also have a mild cucumber taste.
Calendula–This is also what is known as Marigolds and they have a bright orange-yellow bloom. The flavor varies greatly from spicy to bitter, to tangy to peppery. Calendula is also known as ‘poor man’s saffron’ because their taste resembles the exotic spice.
Carnations–These are surprisingly sweet and so they make a good addition to your cake decorations. To use them, just peel the flower away from the white base of the flower which is bitter.
Chammomile–These buds are small and daisy like and have a sweet and light apple flavor. Chammomile is a favorite for teas but I’ve also used this one in morning muffins!
Chevril–Chevril flowers have a light anise taste. (Anise is similar to licorice in taste.) They should always be added at the end of a cooking session as their flavor will be lost in high heat or by getting too dried out.
Chicory–You can eat either the chicory petals or the buds. Chicory is similar to an endive.
Chrysanthemums–Make sure when you’re using these to use only the petals and the base of the flower is bitter. Young leaves of the Crown Daisy are often used in stir fry type dishes in Japan.
Edible Flowers Introduction – A