The Art of Cooking & Baking with Culinary Lavender!

Culinary Lavender 

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!

Chef Ellie Lavender
Vegan Mediterranean Personal Chef
Culinary & Wine Pairing Instructor
Event Caterer
LavenderDesign + Cuisine

 

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