Edible flowers are flower plants that can be directly eaten by leaves or flowers. Many edible flowers are not only ornamental in roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits, but also edible, medicinal, brewing and extracting essence. According to incomplete statistics, there are about 97 families 100 genera 180 species of edible flowers. It's really varied and rich in content. The protein content of flowers is far better than that of beef and eggs, and the vitamin C content is higher than that of fruits. Chrysanthemum, rose, violet and cucurbitaceae flowers are of great help to brain development. Some countries in Europe and America have started to eat flowers, which is regarded as the latest dietary nutrition collocation of modern people, and Japan regards chrysanthemum as a petal vegetable with high quality and no pests. There are many ways to eat flowers in China, including Sophora japonica cake, chrysanthemum cake, day lily, scented tea, plum porridge, sweet-scented osmanthus sour soup and more than 100 kinds of flower banquets. The most planted plants are roses, Chinese rose, Sophora japonica, hibiscus, perilla, tuberose and so on. The oil processed by edible flowers is called 2 1 century edible oil.

Eupatorium odoratum is native to the subtropical region and belongs to the evergreen shrub of Chloranthaceae. Stem nodes are obviously upright or prone, and they like warm, humid and cool environment, fat and cold. The opposite leaves are oval, with blunt teeth at the edge. From September to June, 5438+ 10, millet-like small yellow flowers are very fragrant. Flowers and rhizomes can extract essential oils and smoked tea. The famous Zhu Lan fragrant tea is a mixture of yellow flowers and tea. Rootstocks can also be used in medicine.

Lotus, a perennial aquatic herb, is native to southern China. Like warm and bright light, but also cold-resistant. Underground stems are cylindrical lotus roots, which are born in the sediment. Leaf blade shield rounded entire or undulate. From June to August, pink or white flowers are fragrant. Lotus seeds bear in the lotus after the flowers wither. In addition to starch, lotus seeds also contain protein, fat, aspartame and trisaccharide, which has the functions of nourishing the body and calming the nerves. Lotus seed cakes and eight-treasure porridge made from it are delicious. Lotus root can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw lotus root is tender and crisp, and the water is sweet and fragrant. You can also fill the hole with glutinous rice, cook it and slice it. It's delicious. Lotus root can be used to make starch, and lotus root powder is a pure product made of lotus root. Compared with other starches, it is more delicate in texture, beautiful in color, convenient to eat and rich in nutrition. It is especially suitable for the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled, and it is a nourishing product for clearing blood and calming the nerves. Lotus knot, lotus petal, lotus leaf, lotus leaf, etc. Can be made into medicine, the whole body is treasure.

Rose originated in China and belongs to Rosaceae, a deciduous shrub. The stem is densely covered with burrs and barbs, and the leaves are compound leaves composed of 5 ~ 9 leaflets, and the leaves are wrinkled. Strong adaptability to cold and drought, like light and ventilation, avoid moisture and water accumulation. Flowers bloom in succession from April to June, with purple, red and white colors, which are divided into single petals and double petals. Dried flowers can be used as medicine to make rose crisp candy, rose moon cake, rose sweet soup and so on. Smoke rose black tea with petals. In the old society, the rose tribute wine for the emperor was refined from roses. You can also extract essential oils.

Evergreen originated in China, belonging to Liliaceae, and is an evergreen perennial herb. The stems are thick and short, rooted at nodes, and the lanceolate leaves are thick and hard. Love yin and fear the scorching sun, while succulent roots are afraid of stagnant water. It is advisable to have fertile, loose and well-drained soil. Small yellow-green flowers bloom from May to June. This is a valuable flower for viewing leaves and fruits. Roots and leaves can be used as medicine, which has the functions of clearing away heat and toxic materials, strengthening the heart and diuresis.

Marigold originated in Mexico and belongs to Compositae, panicum miliaceum. The stems are erect, stout and multi-branched, and the leaves are pinnately parted. I like sunshine and fertile soil. Yellow or orange flowers bloom from June to 10. Flowers and leaves can be used as medicine, which has the functions of clearing away heat and resolving phlegm, enriching blood and dredging menstruation, removing blood stasis and promoting regeneration.

Introduction of edible flowers

Among flowers, chrysanthemum is the most complicated variety. People all over the world love chrysanthemums. It not only has high ornamental value, but also has edible and medicinal value.

In ancient China, chrysanthemum buds were used as dishes, and cakes were baked with washed petals mixed with honey, which tasted elegant and sweet. Chrysanthemum meat, chrysanthemum slices and chrysanthemum porridge, which are well-known at home and abroad, are the top products at the dinner. Guangdong snake soup is made of snake meat and chrysanthemum petals. Chrysanthemum pot is a delicious dish made of chrysanthemum petals. Chrysanthemum crystal is made of Hangzhou chrysanthemum. People like to make tea with chrysanthemum, which can produce saliva and moisten the throat. Chrysanthemum contains vitamins, stevioside, amino acids, adenosine and other components, which have the functions of dispelling cold, detoxifying and clearing heat, refreshing the brain and improving eyesight. Can be used for treating hypertension, migraine, acute conjunctivitis, etc. And chrysanthemum wine to treat head wind dizziness.

Plum blossoms not only have high ornamental value, but also are deeply loved by people at home and abroad. Its fruit is not easy to be made into all kinds of honey, so it is favored by people, such as green plum, preserved plum, dark plum, dried plum, canned plum and so on. Plum juice can be used to make all kinds of drinks and sweets, which is sweet and sour. It was one of Cao Cao's brilliant plans to lead troops to quench his thirst. Sour plum paste and sour plum soup can quench thirst and prevent intestinal infectious diseases. Cook the meat in Dali, Yunnan, and roast chicken all use plums as seasoning, which is said to increase the taste. Core removal and mashing are the secrets of keeping osmanthus fresh in Suzhou Kiln Brigade. Nucleolus can relieve cough and moisten lung. Flowers can extract essence.

In early spring, the magnolia trees are full of fragrant flowers as white as jade, as if they were in spring snow; After flowering, it grows luxuriantly and the green leaves are shaded; In autumn, the trees are dotted with red fruits, which are really beautiful. It is an excellent tree species for beautification, greening and fragrance. The petals of Magnolia grandiflora are thick and big. If you wrap it in wet flour and fry it in oil pan with bean paste, it will be very sweet and delicious. This is the famous Magnolia grandiflora at home and abroad. Magnolia slices are sweet and crisp, very delicious. Flowers can also extract essence. Bark and bud can be used as medicine, which has the function of detoxification and analgesia.

Fried meat slices of Magnolia Officinalis, Magnolia Officinalis, Rose and Rosebud can also be used to make candied fruit. Dendrobium flower is delicious as a cold salad. People in Jianghuai often boil sweet-scented osmanthus, Robinia pseudoacacia and pear flowers and eat them with open sugar. Or mix the noodles and steam them in a cage, then add refined salt and sesame oil, which is delicious.

Honeysuckle can be fried with sliced meat, shredded pork, or made into tea.

The leaves of Viola yedoensis are bitter and fragrant. Soak in water for a day, then scald with boiling water to make salty rice porridge.

Sophora japonica is scalded with boiling water, made into stuffing and made into cakes with flour. Its fragrance is pleasant and incomparable to other dishes.

Hemerocallis Hemerocallis Hemerocallis: (also known as yellow flowers, Liliaceae, perennial herbs): Flowers can be fried or made into soup, or steamed in a steamer until withered, and then taken out and dried to make dried vegetables.

Lily: (Liliaceae, perennial herb): Underground bulbs can be peeled for cooking or dried for porridge.

Sophora japonica (Leguminosae, deciduous tree): Flowers can be eaten directly, steamed with flour, and made into delicious soup.

Toona sinensis (deciduous tree of Meliaceae): Both the stem tip and tender leaves are edible, and can be mixed with pepper or fried with eggs.

Celosia cristata (Amaranthaceae, panicum miliaceum): Young leaves are cooked and eaten cold, and can also be eaten with pasta.

Wisteria: (Leguminosae, deciduous climbing shrub): Flowers soaked in sugar can be used as raw materials for making cakes. But never eat raw food with slight toxicity.

Impatiens: (commonly known as henna, panicum miliaceum): Both seedlings and shoot tips can be fried.

Lotus: (Nymphaeaceae, perennial aquatic herb): Its rhizome is called lotus root, which can be eaten cold, fried or raw.

Magnolia grandiflora: (also known as Manglietia, Magnoliaceae, deciduous small tree): Flowers are fried with flour, or candied with sugar and honey. Magnolia can also be seen on the scented tea counter now.

Hibiscus: (Malvaceae, deciduous shrub): Flowers can be used to decoct soup, and young leaves can replace tea.

The above are excerpts from various books and folklore. For reference only.

Eating flowers can not only strengthen the body, but also help beauty beauty. According to experts, flower food contains more than ten kinds of trace elements such as amino acids, iron, zinc, iodine and selenium, 14 kinds of vitamins, and more than 80 kinds of active substances such as active protease, nucleic acid and flavonoids.

Distribution of flower producing areas in China

The advantages of flower planting in China are shown in germplasm resources, climate resources, labor resources, market advantages and flower culture advantages. During the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, the flower planting area in China reached 640,000 hectares, an increase of 326.7% compared with 654.38+500,000 hectares at the end of the Ninth Five-Year Plan.

Seasons and methods of flower consumption

spring

There are many edible flowers, such as magnolia, rose, rose, Dendrobium, Osmunda japonica, pear, Populus tomentosa, Platycladus orientalis, honeysuckle, Viola yedoensis and Sophora japonica. Magnolia can be fried with sliced meat, magnolia, roses and rosebuds, and can also be used to make preserves. Dendrobium flower is delicious as a cold salad. The leaves and flowers of Platycladus orientalis are collected with branches and flowers, put in jars, sealed with rice paper, and ground into fine powder in midsummer to make soup and tea, which is green in color and fragrant. People in Jianghuai often boil sweet-scented osmanthus, Robinia pseudoacacia and pear flowers and eat them with open sugar. Or steam the noodles in a cage and add refined salt and sesame oil to make the food fragrant and pleasant. In Hangzhou and Jia areas of Zhejiang Province, dry rose buds and Chinese rose flowers are often soaked in black tea for drinking, which can dredge meridians, warm the stomach and soothe the nerves. Honeysuckle can be fried with sliced meat, shredded pork, or made into tea. The leaves of Viola yedoensis are bitter and fragrant. Soak in water for a day, then scald with boiling water to make salty rice porridge. Sophora japonica is scalded with boiling water, made into stuffing and made into cakes with flour. Its fragrance is pleasant and incomparable to other dishes.

summer

There are many kinds of edible flowers, such as lily, mint flower, white lotus, jasmine, pearl orchid, Eupatorium adenophorum, tuberose, yellow flower and so on. Fried with lily, very famous. Boiling water with tender mint flowers and leaves, adding cooked mung beans and red dates, adding sugar, and refrigerating are the best products to relieve summer heat and have the effect of tonifying deficiency. Jasmine flower, pearl orchid flower and tortoise shell flower not only make tea, but also are fragrant and refreshing, and can also be used as auxiliary materials in eight-treasure fragrant rice. Tuberose flower buds, stewed in cooked fresh shellfish, are extremely delicious. To eat fresh day lily, you must soak it in water for two hours, squeeze it dry, and then mix it with all kinds of meat, stir-fry, stew, cook and shred it to taste.

autumn

Common flowers are chrysanthemum, pumpkin flowers, hibiscus and osmanthus. Picking sweet white chrysanthemums and putting them into shredded pork, dried rice or egg soup, or frying chicken breast and shredded chicken, all have a unique and elegant flavor. Chrysanthemum morifolium can also be used as wine, medicine and food, which has the effect of refreshing brain and reducing fire. Pumpkin flowers and hibiscus flowers are common ingredients for scrambled eggs and soup. As for sweet-scented osmanthus, people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces make sweet-scented osmanthus sauce with sugar stains and salting, and it is good for the spleen and stomach to cook soup, cook rice or make cakes with broken walnuts. If you sprinkle some osmanthus on the sweet rose soup, it will be a feast for the eyes. Osmanthus fragrans is used as a spice to make food and drink, including Osmanthus Jelly, Osmanthus fragrans candy, Osmanthus fragrans moon cake, Osmanthus fragrans glutinous rice balls, Osmanthus fragrans wine, Osmanthus fragrans tea, etc. It is colorful, sweet and delicious.

winter

Edible flowers include Chimonanthus praecox, Cymbidium hybridum, Prunus mume and domestic hawthorn flowers. For example, plum blossoms are sprinkled on cooked dishes or soups, which are delicious and appetizing. Moran stew also has a special taste. After distillation, Lulu has many flowers, such as perilla, bergamot, wild rose, peony, peony, gardenia, Hosta, orchid and so on. The stems and roots of some flowers are also edible, such as cactus slices in cactus, which are delicious when fried. However, some flowers, such as poinsettia, Datura stramonium, five-colored plum, iris, Jinbaohua, Lily of the Valley, etc., although beautiful in appearance, have different degrees of toxicity, so they must not be eaten indiscriminately or excessively to avoid poisoning.

Flowers and plants medicine health care

In recent years, there are dozens of health drinks made of flowers. Common ones are: rose health drink, chrysanthemum tea, apocynum tea, cassia seed tea, honeysuckle tea, golden lotus tea and so on. Cold drinks and health drinks with wild flowers and cultivated flowers as raw materials are reaching a climax, which has aroused widespread concern all over the world. Other uses, such as using magnolia and jasmine to make tea; Make cakes with osmanthus and roses; Extract spices from gardenia and violets; The leaves of Amorphophallus konjac and banana are thick, and the tubers can be processed into starch, which is a nutritious food.

Chinese medicine, health tea, flower wine, pastry food, etc. Made of edible flowers can generally produce several times of benefits. If we can use high technology to extract effective components from flowers and make them into spices, sesame oil and medicines, the market value development potential will be even greater. For example, rose sesame oil is in short supply at home and abroad, and the price is also expensive. The domestic market price is 8000- 10000 yuan/kg, and the market development potential is very huge. Therefore, it has become an important way to improve the added value of edible flowers by using modern high technology to separate and extract effective components from edible flowers.

Edible flower varieties include: chamomile, Roman chamomile, Begonia, Wisteria, Hibiscus, Impatiens, Aloe, Home/Wild Plum Blossom, Home/Wild Peach Blossom, Home/Wild Pear Blossom, Wild Chrysanthemum, Gongju, Calendula, Chrysanthemum morifolium, Verbena, Mint Leaf, Lemon Tea, Luying, Lavender, Osmanthus fragrans, etc. Celosia cristata, white/red rhododendron, notoginseng, lily, white snow, Leucaena leucocephala, stevia rebaudiana, lily, marigold, magnolia officinalis, hemp, trollius chinensis, apricot blossom, Chinese rose, Sophora japonica, trollius chinensis, imperata rhizome, fiery red, sparks, wild hibiscus, Spatholobus suberectus and Sophora alopecuroides. HEMEROCALLIS HEMEROCALLIS, Begonia, Wisteria, Flos Magnoliae, Kapok, Impatiens, Begonia, Abelmoschus manihot, writing style, cactus, camellia, lemon slices, Republic of China cauliflower, wild rose fruit, crow flower, Saussurea involucrata, Qionghua, Ulmus pumila, pumpkin flowers, lotus flower, lotus leaf, buttercup flower, pine flower and Bashan flower.