With hint of sweet and sour taste, most people use lavender for floral fragrances. But this aromatic herb can make savory and delicious dishes as well.
Culinary lavender has been cleaned extensively to remove any blooms, leaves, stems and dust, making it completely safe to eat in dishes and serve in drinks.
What to eat with lavender? Pairing lavender with other dishes offers a sweet flavor and delightful color to the meals. Lavender can be used while fresh, dried or frozen to spice up your meals.
This particular herb goes well with other spices like oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Lavender also serves as an instant upgrade to baked goods such as cakes, cookies, scones, and shortbread.
In addition, it can go well within meats such as beef, lamb, rabbit, chicken, duck, and steak. However, it requires a very little amount of the herb for savory dishes, otherwise it feels like eating a bar of soap.
Lavender has a specific distinctive taste with a floral smell that combines a hint of mint and rosemary. As a result, it makes the perfect flavoring for spring.
If you have been only using lavender as a refresher or occasionally in baked goods, then this article os filled with expert tips that will help you pair foods with lavender. Answered below are frequently asked question about what to eat with lavender that taste the best.
What flavor goes with lavender?
Lavender has a rich and distinct flavor that pairs well with a variety of other flavors. Due to its floral fragrance, it is advised to use minimally in savory dishes that is not baked goods or desserts.
Chef approved flavors that go well with lavender include:
- lavender + cream + sugar
- lavender + meat + salt
Pairing lavender with thyme, rosemary, oregano and thyme complement the flavor by making your meal more spicy and aromatic.
Lavender also goes well with several beverages. Adding a few sprigs of fresh lavender flowers to your tea spices it up with a refreshing feeling and breaks the monotony of plain tea.
Adding fresh lavender to syrups, sauces and soups is alternate option because the aroma of fresh lavender will invite everyone to the dinner table.
What food goes well with lavender?
Lavender flowers make a rich garnish for desserts and other foods to enhance the flavor of the dish. Dried lavender gives baked foods a more decadent aroma and beautiful color sprinkled throughout at the same time.
Here are food ingredient ideas that go well with lavender:
- Nuts: almonds, pistachios, walnuts
- Cheese and Dairy: crème fraîche, custards, ricotta, mascarpone, milk, cream, ice cream
- Vegetable: ginger, onions, potatoes, rhubarb, vanilla
- Herb: rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, parsley, spearmint.
- Fruits: fig, lemon
- Black tea
- Honey
What meat goes well with lavender?
When it comes to meats that pair well with lavender, it may sound strange or unappetizing at first. However, the tiny addition can actually enhance the savory aroma.
The best meats that go well with lavender are:
- chicken
- duck
- rabbit
- game birds: pheasants, partridges, turkey, grouse, squab, wood pigeon, emu, ostrich, guinea fowl, quail, and geese.
Other than classic chicken, pork goes well with lavender as well. Rub them with dried lavender before grilling pork chops over a flame to give an irresistible aroma.
To add more flavors, rub extra virgin oil, garlic and lavender on lamb chops and enjoy a meal of a lifetime. The lavender gives roast lamb an extra aroma that makes it more sweet and tasty.
What fruit goes well with lavender?
Generally, lavender goes well with lemon and citrus fruits. This sweet-smelling herb turns plain lemonade into a special drink with refreshing and soothing notes.
Here are types of fruit that go well with lavender that you need to consider:
- Pome fruit: apples
- Berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, black currants
- Stone fruits: cherries, peaches, plums
- Citrus fruits: lemon, orange
- Flower fruits: fig, hibiscus
Pair up lavender with orange and apple for dessert. Orange infused lavender cream dessert can make your day.
Apart from citrus fruits, lavender also goes well with sweet and tart fruits. Berries such as blueberry with lavender essence make an excellent idea for an afternoon snack, dessert or refreshing beverage.
Eat With Lavender: Conclusion
Lavender is an enchanting edible floral herb that makes all the difference in any sweet baked goods and savory recipes. However, it would help if you used lavender subtly as overdoing it can make the food bitter.
Apart from its sweet taste, the colorful herb dresses up your plate by giving it a beautiful, inviting look.
This sweet and sour tasting herb goes well with other spices such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Especially lavender and rosemary work in butter cakes, cookies, and other baked goods.
Furthermore, lavender pair well with meat including chicken and game birds like quail for a savory aroma.
But be careful not to use too much as it has a tendency to be overbearing and can ruin the taste with a perfume essence that tastes like soap.
With the right amount of cream and sugar, lavender creates a desirable sweetness, and with salt and and meat can result rich savory taste.
When it comes to fruits, blueberries and lemon also perfect pair with lavender. That is why lemonade is such a well-known drink that goes well with lavender.
From nuts and honey to cheese and vegetables, lavender can be combined with many foods to give a unique, delicate and floral taste. Learning how to pair lavender properly with other foods will give you a wide range of culinary uses.