Edible flowers recipes: Dragon fruit laing and flower biscuits

Using flowers as ingredients isn't really new, but not too many people have actually tried eating edible flowers.

And some actually have no idea which flowers are edible and which ones are not.

In a recent episode of iJuander, Susan Enriquez and co-host Mark Salazar discovered some of the edible flowers available here in the Philippines and which recipes can be made using them.

But, before we share the recipes, it is important to remember that not all flowers in our gardens are edible.

As Susan warned, you have to make sure that they are organic, and that pesticides were not used on them.

For your peace of mind, it's best to buy edible flowers from stores that sell organic goods.

Now that that's out of the way, here are some of the must-try edible flowers recipe shared on iJuander.

Dragon Fruit Laing / Source: iJuander

Dragon fruit laing

The first recipe was shared by Mike and Liz Escober, who own a more than two-hectare dragon fruit farm called Mikeliz Integrated Farm in Camarines Sur.

Mike said he discovered that the dragon fruit flower can be consumed from the Thai and Taiwanese videos he watched online.

He then had a light bulb moment and thought of using the dried dragon flower as a substitute ingredient for the Pinoy favorite, Laing.

So, if you want to try this unique edible flower recipe, below are the ingredients and procedure.

Ingredients:
Dried dragon fruit flower
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Pork
Coconut milk
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Procedure:
1. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger.
2. Add the pork.
3. Add the dried dragon fruit flower.
4. Add coconut milk.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Let it boil.

Flower Biscuits / Source: iJuander

Flower biscuits

The second recipe was shared by Maristelle Shannon Marquez, owner of Aesthetic Cookery. She said she started incorporating edible flowers into her baked goods when the quarantine period began in 2020.

Some of the edible flowers she grows in her own garden are the blue ternate, bougainvillea, rose, and santan.

If you want to bake your own flower biscuits at home, below are the ingredients and procedure.

Ingredients:
Edible flowers
Butter
Egg
Sugar
Vanilla extract
Flour

Procedure:
1. Mix the butter, egg, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl.
2. Add flour and mix well.
3. Knead the mixture into the desired texture of dough.
4. Flatten with rolling pin.
5. Use cookie cutters to achieve the desired shape of the biscuits.
6. Stick the edible flowers individually into the dough.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

If you need a visual guide on how to make these edible flowers recipes, watch the iJuander episode below.

For more interesting discoveries like these, watch iJuander every Sunday at 7:45 p.m. on GTV.

Viewers abroad can also watch iJuander via GMA's flagship international channel, GMA Pinoy TV. For the program guide, visit www.gmapinoytv.com.

And for more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to try an exotic dish, check out this Kimchi Rabbit recipe.

And since it's almost Mother's Day, check out these flower shops that offer delivery services: