Edible Flowers: Value Beyond the Ornamental Plants

Abstract

Edible flowers have been used for a long time as a culture of edible flowers and leaves in different areas with different purposes. Flowers can be used as food since ancient world, Greek Roman. The oldest recorded histories of edible flowers are saffron according to a Sumerian mention the practice of growing saffron for their commercial. The beginning of eating flower culture began here to Europe Mediterranean and Middle East. In addition to saffron, Greeks and Roman ate other flowers, including artichoke, poppy, carnation lotus and fennel for cookery, breads, vermouth, wine, etc. In Neolithic period, daylily chrysanthemums and lotus have been popular in China. Lotus petals were eaten raw as salad, dried stamens as a tea. The benefit of Edible flowers used for culinary because they improve aesthetic value and taste. Moreover, edible flowers garnish the plate, increase food taste and safety for consumers are rich source of antioxidant, vitamin, and bioactive compounds such as phenolic compound, carotenoids, Tocol and other compounds. Edible flowers can be developed for functional food.