Sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima · Edible flower

40 pairings

Sweet alyssum is the low, foaming carpet of tiny four-petalled white flowers that smells unmistakably of honey on a warm afternoon. It is a mustard-family plant, not a true alyssum, and the flowers carry that heritage on the tongue — honeyed at the front, faintly peppery behind — which makes them a garnish that actually tastes of something.

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, honey still on itBrowned, matted, scent gone

Punnet freshThe chilled punnet as sold. Strip the florets off the wiry stems, rinse gently and dry them, and use them the day you open it - this is a garnish, not a leaf to dress.Everyday best

The floretsOpen and bright, a few loose petals in the box

The wiry stemsStems green, cut ends dried and paler

The cushion in the handStill lofty, packs down a little under the hand

Smell at the punnetHoney faint, mostly green and quiet

What to look for, from just opened, honey still on it to browned, matted, scent gone.

Preparing