5 Culinary Lavender Uses That Will Surprise You

Just thinking of lavender can make you imagine walking through an enchanting field of indescribably fragrant flowers. You may even have picked a fragrant lavender bouquet to give to your loved one.

Lavender is a storied herb, which has been used as medicine, perfume, and cooking oils throughout history.

While making soaps, perfumes, and even using it to wash and dry clothes, Romans also used lavender oil in their cuisine.

The sweet and inviting aroma of lavender is 100% edible, you can chew it all the way from bud and stem to leaf! There’s literally no part of this magical herb that’s not to love.

Culinary lavender has been around for quite some time, but new innovations are springing up even today.

While you can use this magical herb for everything including balms, soaps, essential oils, and loose lavender leaf tea sachets – lavender has found its place on the chef’s table.

It has primarily garnered a lot of attention, because of people raving about how it makes every dish tasty. While pleasing to the palette, using floral and aromatic lavender flowers in cooking can be tricky, and some guidance may be helpful.

Before you dive into cooking with lavender, there’s something you should know: there are a lot of varieties available of this fragrant herb: 39 to be exact.

The ones approved by chefs and gardeners for usage in the kitchen are the English and no surprise here; French species.

English Lavender: Also known as Lavandula angustifolia, this is a sweetly fragrant herb comprising flower spikes and aromatic leaves. It is perfect as culinary lavender, and its grayish green stem can replace other herbs like rosemary.

French Lavender: The most sought-after lavender from the French gardens has a strong pine flavor. It is less likely to be used as culinary lavender because it is less potent and sweeter. However, the variety of French lavender most suitable for culinary uses comes from Provence. It is a hybrid plant with the scientific name Lavandula x intermedia.

Incorporating lavender into cooking

Just a touch of lavender is enough to change the chemistry of your entire recipe.

So, when you’re infusing lavender into your dishes, take a measured approach – otherwise it can be entirely too overpowering to the other ingredients.

The mustache twirling chefs in Provence use a blend of herbs to harness the powerful scent. That’s why the most commonly used variety of culinary lavender is Herbes de Provence – a rich French spice blend — mixing lavender flower with basil, rosemary, thyme, savory, and marjoram.

You can also make your own garden variety spice mix – after all – you too can be a master chef in the making! Use organic herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano and become the talk of the town!

The humble dried lavender leaves have proven time and again to turn any main course with nothing more than a gentle herbal rub. It is the quickest, most surefire trick to transfer the aroma to the dish and goes incredibly well with poultry and meats.

Desserts

You may also experiment with the intense flavors of lavender to improve your desserts. Lavender’s floral notes go well with berries and citrus fruits. When baked with lavender – cheesecakes, mousses, macarons, and cupcakes take on a delicate, colorful form.

Baking goodies, when mixed with lavender syrup or loose-leaf tea, become imbued with fragrance and flavor. If you want to end a warm night on a sweet note with something reminiscent of spring in full bloom, why not a lavender dessert?

If you need heaven on a spoon, you can’t go wrong with lavender ice cream. Mix lavender with whipped cream and honey to get a rich sophisticated herbal ice cream filled with decadent flavor.

You can also make vegan lavender ice creams using cashew milk and organic maple syrup or other complex sugars. Try incorporating raspberries or subtle citrus fruits to create a mesmerizing and delightful package of flavors. You may use lavender to prepare classic gelatos, as well.

Drinks and Beverages

If you need a calming drink to sip on a summer day, the lavender lemonade drink is a chef-approved, excellent pairing.

The complex floral flavor of lavender gets a unique citrus twist in this drink. Unlike other recipes that need culinary lavender buds, you can use lavender syrup to infuse a sweet taste.

Blend some fresh mint leaves to make a strong lavender mojito. You can also pop lavender stems and make lavender iced tea. For a strictly adults-only drink, you could even experiment with a lavender martini.

Lavender is pleasant to look at and instantly lifts the presentation of any dish with its rich color. Edible lavender garnishes are popular with chefs and home bakers, who are blown away by how breathtaking it turns a dish. You can use dried organic lavender flowers or fresh ones to garnish a dish.

Some tips and tricks for using lavender in the kitchen

• When cooking with lavender, start by adding a little, check the taste, and then add more if necessary.
• Do not restrict the use of lavender to sweet treats alone. You can add lavender to savories as well.
• It goes well with rich and fatty foods by lifting the overall flavor.
• Try incorporating lavender-infused sugar for enhancing sweet dishes instead of dried flowers. You can add dried flowers in the cream or ganache to tone everything down.
• 1 portion of fresh lavender buds has as much potency as a 1/3 portion of dried buds.
• The above culinary uses of lavender are a few of the many that both novice cooks and expert chefs have crafted to extract the magic out of this beautiful, bright flower.

You can experiment with other recipes using this floral delight and add to your culinary repertoire.

You can find dried organic Lavender online, or you can look for it at a farmer’s market. Just remember to use it gently!

Do you have an amazing recipe that you’ve made with lavender? Fill out the contact us form on our website and we’ll feature the best ones.