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Greetings Lavender
Lovers!
Since, I use organic culinary
lavender in my recipes, cooking and baking classes, I'm often asked by
my culinary students about the difference between lavender flower buds from
lavender plants in the garden, nurseries and culinary lavender.
So, let's get to know this amazing herb!
Origin
Lavender is believed to be from
the Mediterranean, Middle East and India. Its history goes back some 2500
years. Lavender is a flowering plant of the mint family known for its
beauty, its sweet floral fragrance and its multiple uses.
Varieties:
Lavandula Angustifolia, AKA English
Lavender is an endemic plant of central and western Mediterranean regions
(western & northern Italy, southeastern
France and eastern Spain).
Lavandula Latifolia, AKA Lavandula
X Intermedia and often referred to as Lavandins. While lavandins
are beautiful and smell great there is only one variety commonly used in
cooking and baking and that variety is the Provence
lavender.
French Lavender, a hybrid plant
and AKA Lavandula x intermedia. If you want the true Provence
lavender experience, the best variety to look for it, unsurprisingly, is
Provence. It's widely regarded as the best French lavender for
culinary uses.
Culinary Consumption:
Cooking with Lavender: A small
amount of lavender goes a long way! Use fresh or dried
buds but be cautious! The essence gets stronger and more concentrated
as it dries. Use a very small amount or risk infusing the entire dish with
bitterness or an oddly soapy flavor. When cooking or baking with dried
lavender, use only 1/2 of the amount if the recipe calls for fresh buds.
Example: 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh = 1/2 teaspoon dried.
Flavor Pairings with
Lavender: Lavender's
lovely fragrant flavor beautifully complements a range of sweet and savory culinary
creations. Especially, fruits such as strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, pear, peach, apricot, nectarine, apple, persimmon, lemon, orange,
and much more!
Herbes de Provence: Lavender is used
in the renowned French savory herb blend, herbes de Provence. Recipes vary but often include marjoram, oregano, basil,
savory, rosemary and thyme.
Delicious Ways to Enjoy Lavender: Baked goods, chocolate, fruit syrups and elixirs (perfect with sparkling wine & champagne aperitifs), salad dressings, beurre blanc, ice cream, gelato, tarts, galettes, compote, marmalade, confiture, sorbet, Provencal-style soups, cassoulets, stews and much more!
Tips for using Culinary
Lavender:
Lavender's floral notes beautifully complements berries and citrus in baked goods. Instead of adding small amounts of the actual dried flowers to recipes, try using lavender-infused sugar for enhancing sweet dishes with just the slightest hint of floral goodness. Tone it down by infusing the dried flowers into cream for ganache, whipped cream, crème brûlée and crème anglaise or into simple syrup and elixir for iced tea or a variety of desserts and cocktails.
Lavender is renowned as a culinary herb for its clean, distinctive perfume and matching floral, ever-so-slightly-minty flavor. Culinary Lavender is hand harvested in and is free of any kind of pesticide which makes it perfectly suited for cooking and baking. This beautiful and aromatic edible flower will give your favorite dish an unforgettable taste.
I learned the art of
cooking and baking with culinary lavender at a
very young age by experimenting with varieties of vegetables, fruits and
ingredients! I now use it in many of my culinary creations and love it!
Happy Cooking & Baking with Lavender!
Vegan Mediterranean Personal Chef
Culinary & Wine Pairing Instructor
Event Caterer
LavenderDesign + Cuisine
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