Are Cilantro Flowers Edible?

Ever wondered if cilantro flowers are edible? Certainly, they are! The flowers of cilantro possess a pungent herbal flavor and can be integrated into various dishes.

Not every part of most plants is edible. But it helps to know which part of the plant is suitable for consumption. So, if your cilantro plant has probably bolted or it has entered into its flowering stage: not to worry. You can as well enjoy adding cilantro flowers to your various dishes.

Generally, cilantro is a tasty herb used in various cooking and they are an excellent source of great vitamins and nutrients.

So, let’s further look into how cilantro flowers are edible and many more.

Can You Eat Cilantro Flowers?

You can certainly eat cilantro flowers because they are edible. It may please you to also know that all of the parts of cilantro plants are edible including the flower. Even cilantro seeds which are known as coriander seeds are edible.

The plant cilantro is one of the most widely eaten herbs in the world. Cilantro flowers are commonly used in Asian, Indian, and Latin cuisines. It is even becoming more popular in other cuisines.

Are Cilantro Flowers Poisonous?

As we have mentioned, cilantro flowers are safe to eat. Therefore, there aren’t any toxins found in any part of the plant. Hence, they aren’t poisonous and cilantro flowers are edible. You can even incorporate cilantro flowers into various tasty dishes.

Are All Parts Of Cilantro Plants Edible?

We all know cilantro leaves are edible and very flavorful. But most people don’t really know how many parts of cilantro plants are consumable. Well, all parts of cilantro plants are edible! But this does not mean all parts of cilantro plants taste great or are good to be eaten.

The stem and roots of cilantro are consumable. However, they aren’t so great-tasting enough to use for cooking. But when it comes to the leaves, flowers, as well as seeds of cilantro, they are commonly used in different cuisines.

How To Get Cilantro To Flowering Stage

Ideally, if you want to enjoy cilantro flowers, it’s only logical to allow them to enter into the flowering or bolting stage. The cilantro plant thrives well in a cool and moist environment. Usually, if you want to lengthen the period in which cilantro produces leaves, planting them in a cool and moist condition is the way.

But if you want cilantro to flower, you should allow them to enter the bolting stage that will produce seeds and then flower. You can encourage bolting by planting cilantro during hot weather. When the weather is hot, cilantro will produce seeds and eventually bolt.

However, you should know that once the cilantro plant has bolted, the leaves will lose their flavor. So, you can’t make good use of their leaves at this stage.

But cilantro will eventually bolt and produce seeds and flowers because that’s what plants do generally. They are meant to reproduce and ensure they produce the next generation of cilantro plants.

How Does Cilantro Flower Taste?

To determine the taste of cilantro flowers is quite tricky. You may think cilantro flowers taste sweet and mild. But in the actual sense, cilantro flowers have a similar taste to cilantro leaves. They tend to have a milder taste slightly tangy.

The petals of cilantro have a hint of citrus together with a bit of sweetness. Hence, this balances the flower’s mild spiciness.

A lot of people that have tasted cilantro flowers have agreed the taste is delicious. But this doesn’t mean everyone will like the taste of cilantro flowers. In fact, a group of people may taste cilantro flowers as tangy and delicious. Another group on the other hand may have a gene that makes the taste of cilantro flowers soapy.

This is mainly because cilantro has a fat molecule that can be gotten from many soaps. Therefore, some sets of people tend to be sensitive enough to feel the soapy taste. This soapy taste overthrows every other subtle flavor the flower has. Hence, it becomes noticeable to some.

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So, if you have never tried tasting cilantro flowers, ensure you try to taste it before you plan on making use of it in any of your dishes. This is to make sure your taste flows well with the flower.

Cilantro Flowers Cooking Applications

Cilantro flowers have a more subtle flavor. Hence, they are the perfect substitute for cilantro leaves. So, cilantro flowers can be used as an alternative if you don’t want the flavor of cilantro leaves to overthrow any dish you’re trying to make.

Cilantro flowers can also go well or pair well with the following: tomato, carrots, zucchini, lamb, chicken, avocado, citrus, lemongrass, and whitefish.

You can as well use cilantro flowers to make a spicy dish subtle. Cilantro flowers can as well be used to bring out flavors in rich dishes.

How To Properly Harvest Cilantro Flowers

If you wish to make use of cilantro flowers for your cooking experience, it’s important to harvest the right way. So, to harvest any herbs generally, the time of the day and temperature matter.

So, to properly harvest cilantro flowers, do so early in the morning once the dew has evaporated. But ensure the heat of the day has not surfaced.

We recommend you avoid harvesting cilantro flowers during the middle of the day. This is because the flowers tend to have lower moisture content which makes them wilt and bruise easily. Therefore, if you want fresh flowers, ensure you harvest them when they are still cool.

Additionally, cilantro flowers should be picked when they have fully bloomed. Avoid using buds or partially opened flowers. Also, when the flowers are dying, you shouldn’t make use of them.

Even though some flowers can be dried before using them, cilantro doesn’t work this way. Cilantro should only be used when it’s fresh or you won’t get that great flavor.

FAQ’s

Final Note

We have seen that the cilantro flowers are definitely edible They can offer you great tasting flavor when added to different dishes and they are a great source of vitamins and minerals.