Lilac

Syringa vulgaris · Edible flower

40 pairings

Lilac is the small, four-lobed, intensely perfumed spring flower of woody shrubs in the genus Syringa (family Oleaceae), borne in dense conical clusters. The common lilac (Syringa vulgaris), prized for its heady fragrance, is the species used in the kitchen — its blossoms are steeped into syrups and lemonades, crystallised in sugar, baked into shortbread and scones, and scattered as a fragrant garnish, contributing a sweet floral aroma with a distinctly bitter, faintly green edge.

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, standing up, headyBrowned, shed and musty

Shop freshBuy it AS food, labelled to eat. Lilac is grown almost entirely as an ornamental, and a florist bunch or garden-centre shrub can carry pesticides no rinse removes.Everyday best

Where it's fromA food shop's punnet, sold as food, in date

Colour of the floretsColour good, a few petal edges going papery

The truss and its stalkOpen right through, stalk still green

The liftStands, then nods over slowly

Smell at the trussSweet and floral, but you lean in for it

What to look for, from just opened, standing up, heady to browned, shed and musty.

Preparing