Mallow flower

Malva sylvestris · Edible flower

40 pairings

The mallow flower is the mauve-pink bloom of Malva sylvestris (common or high mallow), a plant of the hibiscus family whose flowers, leaves and young seed pods have been eaten and steeped around the Mediterranean and Middle East for thousands of years. The five heart-notched petals are mild and faintly sweet, and — like the whole plant — carry a soft, slippery mucilage that thickens soups, soothes the throat and turns a hot infusion silky.

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, petals flat and springyCollapsed, browned and weeping

Fresh todayFrom a grower selling edible flowers, or your own plant. Pick the day you use them, a day early at most; wash, dry, and keep them bagged in the fridge until they go on the plate.Everyday best

Where it came fromSold as an edible flower, grower named on the label

The open bloomFully open, colour a shade paler at the rim

Petal feelSoft and dry, still holds its own shape

Calyx and stemCup green, cut stem drying at the tip

Smell of the flowersClean and quiet, a little hay-like

What to look for, from just opened, petals flat and springy to collapsed, browned and weeping.

Preparing