Mallow flower
Malva sylvestris · Edible flower
Top 10 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 todayEveryday bestFrom 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.
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