Floral flavours have been one of the biggest culinary trends and it's one that we expect to bloom even further this season.
Gone are the days when flowers were only used to add colour to a dull space in your home.
Not only have flowers become a hot accessory, but they are also a must-have ingredient to add flavour and pizazz to your summer dishes and drinks.
It's no longer just for fine dining restaurants. More people are including edible flowers in their culinary creations at home.
But before taking your flower arrangements from the dinner table to your plate, it's important to know which flowers will best enhance your favourite summer salad.
Chef, food stylist and blogger Bianca Davies says edible flowers are great because they introduce great flavour to your dishes.
"Some very pretty and colourful varietals like pansies have a delicate flavour and won't change the flavour profile of your dish so are great for pops of colour and general beautifying. While a nasturtium flower has a sweet and peppery taste, it can add a punch of spiciness to any salad and goes beautifully with smoked salmon," Davies says.
Pansies, violets, nasturtiums, chive flowers, borage flowers, lavender, rose petals, snapdragons and zucchini blossoms are among the more popular flowers you can expect to find in your dishes.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Angela Ng(@thisisangelang) on Nov 1, 2018 at 8:13am PDT
While many of these flowers can be bought at grocery stores, Davies says they are also "super easy and fun" to grow.
"Nasturtiums grow like weeds and need next to no looking after. Many herb flowers are just as tasty as their actual herbs and ones like rocket, basil and coriander are very easy to grow at home in your garden or potted on your balcony," she says.
Edible flowers aren't only limited to food, floral ice cubes is another great way to add colour to cocktails, cold drinks and even a jug of water.
Floral ice cubes
Davies says each flower has its own flavour.
"Garnishing food and drinks is the most obvious as edible flowers are exquisite and add that extra little flourish to a dish or drink that makes it more appealing. Cleverly using them for their flavour and their looks is the ultimate combo."