Yucca flower

Yucca elephantipes · Vegetable

40 pairings

The yucca flower — flor de izote in Central America — is the edible, creamy-white blossom of the izote yucca, borne in tall panicles atop the plant. Waxy, bell-shaped and faintly bitter, the petals are cooked as a distinct flower vegetable: the bitter green pistils and stamens are pulled from each bloom, and the tender petals are then boiled and sautéed with egg, tomato and onion, folded into pupusas, or dropped into soups. It is the national flower of El Salvador and a seasonal delicacy across the region.

Picking a good onedrag

Cream, plump, blooms barely openBrown, slack, translucent at the edge

Market bunchThe spring bunch on the stall, and still not food as sold. Clean each bloom, blanch about five minutes, squeeze dry, then fry with egg and tomato.Everyday best

The bloomsCream, bells wide open, edges still clean

The bitter centreAnthers loose and shedding, the column still pale and firm

Petals in the handFirm, a little slack at the petal tips

Smell at the bunchNeutral and green, still clean

What to look for, from cream, plump, blooms barely open to brown, slack, translucent at the edge.

Preparing