Violet
Viola odorata · Edible flower
Top 10 pairings
The sweet violet (Viola odorata) is a small, low-growing perennial whose deep purple (sometimes white) five-petalled flowers carry one of the most prized floral perfumes in cookery. Both flowers and heart-shaped leaves are edible, and the blooms are famously candied (crystallised), steeped into syrups and liqueurs, and scattered as a delicate garnish.
Picking a good onedrag
Just opened, petals taut and scentedLimp, browning, translucent at the edge
Shop freshEveryday bestBuy them AS food, from a grower selling them to eat. Florist, nursery and roadside or lawn violets carry sprays never assessed for eating, and a systemic one cannot be rinsed off.
The petalsColour still full, one or two edges going papery
The flower in your handSoft, but it opens back out after you tip the punnet
What is in the punnetA few stuck together, a scatter of petals below
Smell at the punnetSweet floral, but only close under your nose