Flower power: 9 flowers you can eat

Many cultures use flowers in traditional cooking. Candied or even deep-fried, pickled or picked fresh before sprinkling on salads or soups, petals and blossoms add a splash of color and flavor. Here are DW's nine favorite flowery treats.

Nasturtium with its peppery aroma is a colorful and spicy addition to any meal. Actually, the entire winding, trailing part of the plant that is above ground is edible. The buds can be pickled and used like capers.

The elder tree's frothy, fragrant blossoms can be used to make tea, liqueur, syrup, jelly, and vinegar. A special treat: elderflower fritters.

Raid your vase of its fragrant roses: Rose petals enhance many a dish, particularly cakes and desserts. In Middle Eastern cuisine, the petals are distilled into rose water for concentrated flavor.

Candied violets, a beautiful extra on cakes and desserts, spring to mind immediately when it comes to edible buds. The petals are delicate to the taste, and can also lend their aroma to salads and soups.

Often considered a weed, English daisies brighten uniform green lawns, and children love to pick them to make daisy chains and necklaces. The tiny flower buds and petals can be eaten in salads and sandwiches.

The dandelion is another weed most gardeners would like to eradicate. But it's quite multi-talented: Every bit of the plant is edible. Young buds are tasty fried in butter. More than just a bright yellow garnish for soups and salads, dandelion flowers are also known for being made into wine and jellies.

Calendula is also called "poor man's saffron." Our ancestors used the petals to give soups, gravies and butter a yellowish hue. The bright yellow or orange flower is also well known for its medicinal use.

Pansies are one of the many hundred viola species. In Germany, the dainty plant is called the "stepmother" (Stiefmutter). The petals with their sweet to tart flavor are a colorful supplement to confections, salads and soups.

The mild, slightly sweet blossoms of the garden pea can be eaten raw, and they taste like - peas. But don't confuse them with ornamental pea flowers, which can be toxic! Do you have a favorite flower recipe? Send it to us at: [email protected].