Eat Your Flowers
Glory bowls are coming to light in 2016, with flowers taking centre stage. By Li Ying Lim.
Afew petals started cropping up in a salad picture on Instagram. Then, on top of a breakfast chia cup and a green smoothie. And now, fully fledged, it has landed in the Buddha Bowl, also known as the Glory Bowl, a moniker that underscores the glowing potency of a big serving of vegetables in vibrant colours, and grains buried beneath all this goodness. Sprinkles of petals have found their way in as a finishing touch, making this an inside-out recipe that is good for your body and soul.
BUD AWAKENING Edible flowers are pretty in sight and powerful in benefits, making eating healthy such a delectable delight. Floral consumption is not new. Consider the hibiscus, famously used in cordials to right liver disorders, or similarly, the elderflower, dandelion, lilac, and nasturtium. Sunflower buds can also be steamed and eaten like artichokes, while zucchini flowers, known as flor de calabaza, can make great condiments for your Buddha bowl or salad. The difference now is that we are finding more of them in their rawest, blossomed form used as condiments. Although, yoga instructor Daniela Koromzay warns, “Don’t visit your favourite florist expecting to use its wares for food—they’ve been doused with non-food grade pesticides.”
AWE SOME TASTE Echoing springtime’s renewed energy, edible flowers are capable of imbuing all our senses with colours and light. Think beyond bowls—how about toast? Alison Marras, blogger at Food by Mars, stumbled upon what she coins “culinary lavender”, and sprinkled them over toast, slathered with smashed sweet peas, lemon, and tahini.
PRETTY LITTLE THINGS Edible flowers are best when certified organic. Picking blooms that taste good also means doing so early in the morning, and consuming them as soon as possible. Drop a rose petal into your smoothie bowl to add natural sweetness. At Ashley’s by LivingFood in Bangsar, it is whirred up in the Minty Rhose power smoothie. And don’t be afraid to experiment beyond the expected—how about a delicious chrysanthemum pancake?
ENCHANTING REMINDERS The sight of flowers can also prompt gratitude of this life. “Here is a magnificent display of aliveness, offered up for my pleasure, to crunch and swallow,” exalts Koromzay. “A blossom is a plant’s last creative shout before turning to seed; a potent reminder of our own potential to unfurl, to bloom, and ultimately, to wilt; a decadent display of beauty.”