Is lavender used to season food?
In almost every kitchen herb garden (at least around here), there is lavender growing. Is there anything that uses lavender for flavoring?
Best Answer
For sure! As you might expect, it's really good for desserts, as a light, spring-time flavor for cakes, frostings, paired with berries, etc. — but I have also seen it used with salmon and other savory dishes. Check out this for some ideas:
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Quick Answer about "Is lavender used to season food?"
“Lavender pairs really well with rich and fatty foods because it cuts through and lifts the overall flavor,” Cheney says. Popularly used in herbes de Provence alongside herbs like marjoram, rosemary, savory, and oregano, lavender is often paired with chicken, turkey, lamb, and fatty fish like salmon or tuna.Is lavender used as a spice?
Lavender's flavor and aroma are instantly recognizable, which makes it a perfect unexpected culinary herb. Its most typical pairing is dairy, be it cream, custard, or butter. Scones, muffins, biscuits, ice cream, and frosting are all excellent candidates for a small amount of lavender.What does lavender taste like in food?
On its own, lavender has a distinctive taste that's floral with hints of mint and rosemary (two plants to which it's related) and, used correctly, it makes the perfect flavoring for spring.What flavor does lavender add?
What Does Lavender Taste Like? The initial sensory impact of lavender is a pungent floral flavor and aroma, with subtle notes of herbaceousness, earthiness, and mint. Different lavender varieties can take on additional undertones of fruit, smoke, and woodiness, making it a complex culinary herb.What food does lavender go with?
Lavender's sweet, fragrant flavor complements a range of foods, both sweet and savory. Ingredients lavender goes well with include strawberries, blueberries, pears, lemon, orange, honey, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and chocolate.Two Side Effects of Lavender Buds
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Answer 2
Definitely! Lavender is a traditional component of Herbes de Provence, and works well in breads. Dried flowers can be put in a grinder with salt crystals for an interesting flavor. For sweet applications, I steep into a simple syrup (great for cocktails, or pouring over cakes) or place in granulated sugar (for baking - excellent for a pound cake).
Answer 3
The first ice cream I ever made was honey and lavender (using the dried flowers). It's an unusual taste and not everyone likes it. The leaves can also be used as you would use rosemary.
I had thought all varieties of lavender were edible and have just used what ever was in the garden but I was reading a recipe the other day that said to only use culinary lavender (which I'd never heard of).
A bit of research leads me to believe this is just English lavender that hasn't been treated with pesticides, but having never bought it I could be wrong. This same research seemed to imply not all varieties of lavender taste the same which makes sense. This page in particular seemed helpful.
Answer 4
All parts of the Lavender bush are good for adding smoke to food in a wood or charcoal fired BBQ
When the BBQ heat is not on full, add crunched up bunches of Lavender to make a sweet and interesting smoky favour
Answer 5
I had a wonderful veal chop with a crust that contained lavender in Argentina so it's definitely used. That said, due to it's close botanical relationship to rosemary the most common meat I've seen it paired with is lamb.
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Images: David Bartus, Palo Cech, Ellie Burgin, Jill Wellington