Growing Lavender Varieties Suitable for Your Personal Herb Garden
Cooking with Lavender: A Guide to Edible Lavender Varieties
Lavender, a fragrant herb native to the Mediterranean and Africa, has a rich history dating back 2500 years and is now a popular ingredient in various culinary applications. Two main types of lavender plants are safe and delicious for cooking: English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and French lavender.
English Lavender: The Culinary Star
English lavender is widely recognized as the best choice for culinary purposes due to its sweet, clean taste and low camphor levels. This combination prevents bitterness and soapy flavors often found in other types of lavender. English lavender varieties are recommended for cooking, with Amy Grant, a professional chef and gardener with 30 years of experience in culinary gardening, suggesting "Royal Velvet," "Folgate," "Melissa," "Munstead," or "Lady" as recommended cultivars.
French Lavender: A Versatile Option
French lavender, native to Eastern and Southern Spain, can also be used in cooking. It has a sweet and mild floral taste, but English lavender is more commonly recommended due to its milder flavor and lower camphor content. French lavender is an upright, medium-sized shrub that isn't as aromatic as other varieties.
Avoiding Unwanted Flavors: Spanish Lavender
Spanish lavender varieties often contain higher camphor levels, which can impart unwanted bitter or soapy flavors. As a result, they are not recommended for cooking. Spanish lavender, sometimes referred to as Butterfly lavender or, confusingly, French lavender, is native to the Mediterranean and Africa and tolerates humidity better than English lavender, blooming almost continuously from mid-spring through late summer in zones 8-9.
Culinary Uses for Lavender
Lavender can be used in a variety of recipes, ranging from syrups and baked goods to herbes de Provence blends and savory meat rubs. Its fresh taste cuts through and elevates the palate, marrying well with foods that are rich and fatty. However, the flavor of lavender is intense, so it's important to use it sparingly in recipes to avoid overwhelming other flavors.
In conclusion, for safe consumption and culinary use, choose Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) or, alternatively, French lavender, and avoid varieties high in camphor such as Spanish lavender. With its sweet, mild flavor, English lavender is the preferred choice for cooking due to its low camphor content and delicious taste.
Here are two sentences that follow from the given text and contain the words 'lifestyle', 'home-and-garden', 'gardening':
Incorporating culinary lavender varieties like English lavender and French lavender into your home garden provides a pleasant aroma and can enhance your lifestyle, serving as a delightful addition to your home-and-garden endeavors, particularly for those with a keen interest in gardening.
Amy Grant, a professional chef and gardener with 30 years of experience in culinary gardening, recommends English lavender as the best choice for culinary purposes and suggests specific cultivars such as "Royal Velvet," "Folgate," "Melissa," "Munstead," or "Lady" for a vibrant addition to your home-and-garden while expanding your culinary repertoire.
