Marigold

Tagetes erecta · Edible flower

40 pairings

Marigold is the edible flower of the genus Tagetes — most often the Mexican or Aztec marigold (Tagetes erecta), the cempasúchil of Day of the Dead — whose vivid yellow-to-orange petals carry a pungent, citrus-and-spice scent and are used to colour and season food.

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, springy, sharply scentedBrowned, shedding, damp at the disc

Shop freshThe punnet as bought. Strip the straps off the head, pinch off the pale heel where the bitterness sits, and leave the rest behind - calyx, stalk and the pollen-bearing central disc; the small signet or gem types are eaten whole instead. Keep the amount in proportion: extension guidance on marigold is to eat it occasionally and in moderation, so treat it as a scatter, a garnish and a gold tint, not a salad bulked out with it. As a daisy-family flower it can bother people already sensitive to ragweed, daisies or chrysanthemum.Everyday best

How it was soldA grower who sells the flowers to be eaten

The ray petalsColour full, the outer straps starting to curl

The headSofter, petals slow to lift again

Green base and stemCalyx green, the cut end drying over

Smell at the headStill resinous, the citrus gone quiet

What to look for, from just opened, springy, sharply scented to browned, shedding, damp at the disc.

Preparing