The Ultimate Guide To Using Violets In The Kitchen

Violets are humble but wonderful little flowers. Blooming low to the ground in springtime, they're as easy to overlook in the wild as their distinctive flavor is in the kitchen. But these exquisitely colorful blossoms can bring a unique aroma to dishes, both sweet and savory, and they can be used in a surprising number of ways.

The scent of violets is best known as a fragrance used in perfumes, and the flowers themselves have long been used to symbolize lesbian love thanks to the famous poet Sappho of Lesbos, whose writings from almost two and a half millennia ago still resonate with readers to this day. With their delicate and alluring fragrance, it's scarce wonder poets like Sappho have mentioned violets so fondly in verse and song. With a little care, the decadent taste of these vibrant flowers can make a perfect addition to any romantic picnic or candlelit dinner.

In the kitchen, violets can find plenty of culinary uses and, like other edible flowers, they can make attractive garnishes for both food and drinks. While violets aren't commonly used in most modern Western food, they're a traditional part of French cuisine, particularly around the southern city of Toulouse. Here, violets are made into a variety of luxurious food items, including candies, teas, preserves, and, most commonly, syrups. For times when fresh flowers aren't available, the flavor of violets can also be added to foods by using violet essence, which can be bought online.

The characteristic sweet scent of violets comes from compounds called ionones. This is a class of molecules that human noses are particularly sensitive to — a little goes a long way! What's more, the same group of molecules is responsible for the distinctive fragrance of roses. This shared fragrance is why roses and violets have a long association, and means that the two both smell and taste good together. Any recipe that usually uses rosewater would probably taste great with violet essence instead.

Ionones and their related compounds contribute to the flavors of a variety of other things commonly used in foods, and all of these will pair very nicely with the flavor of violets. In particular, for more savory dishes, carrots, asparagus, and chicken will taste good with violets, but the best pairings can be found in sweet dishes. Violets will complement the taste of roasted almond and mango, as well as going particularly well with berries like raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry.

 As an aside, ionones are chemically quite similar to vitamin A, which both the flowers and leaves of violets are rich in. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes, which is why eating carrots is famously good for your eyesight – they're also full of compounds related to vitamin A. It's no coincidence that violets and carrots taste great together.

Another French specialty, violet ice cream can be found everywhere, from small towns on the Côte d'Azur to the streets of Paris in midsummer. Historically, though, violet ice cream (along with other floral flavors) has been a well-known treat all across 19th century Europe, when it was popular in Victorian England and a favorite of Empress Elizabeth of Austria.

In modern times, violet ice cream is harder to come by. A good option for those who want to enjoy it at home is to try making it themselves. Homemade ice cream is easier to make than you might expect, and there are several ways to prepare it in your own kitchen without needing an ice cream machine. The easiest way to make your own violet ice cream is to add some violet syrup to your mixture of cream and sugar (and possibly egg yolks if you prefer to make something more like gelato). You shouldn't need to use too much syrup, but a little extra will give a nice purple color to your finished dish.

Violet cream chocolates are a traditional sweet treat from England, dating back to Victorian times, and the classic version has each one topped with a single candied violet flower. The candied flowers themselves have a variety of uses in the kitchen, and a popular choice is to use them to decorate cakes or pastry dishes. Using freshly picked flowers, candied violets may take a little practice to make at home, but they'll certainly be worth the effort.

Also known as crystallized violets, these little candied flowers just need some egg white and some powdered confectioners sugar to prepare. Simply beat the egg white until slightly frothy, and then give the flowers a good coating of it. Then give the flowers a liberal coating of sifted sugar and leave them somewhere to dry. Alternatively, for vegans or anyone with allergies, an egg-free version can also be made by using some simple sugar syrup instead. Candied violets are a flavorsome little ingredient and a colorful way to garnish a dessert. Try using them to decorate a blueberry cheesecake, or sprinkle a few on top of some raspberry sorbet as a garnish!

Dessert dishes aren't the only thing violets can be used for. The fragrant flowers are perfectly good to eat raw, directly from the plant. A handful of freshly picked flowers can make for a colorful addition to a salad with fresh greens like arugula or baby spinach leaves. The best choices are light, zesty flavors. Sprouts and microgreens can be a good option. Try to avoid any leaves with a stronger, more bitter taste, as these can overpower the more delicate taste of the violets.

The leaves of violet plants are also edible, and these can also go very nicely in a fresh leafy salad. They have a light, pea-like flavor, and mix well with other milder salad greens. As salad leaves, American blue violets are the best choice, as they tend to have larger leaves than European sweet violets. The flavor of violet leaves and flowers can be nicely complemented by the deep flavors of a good honey mustard dressing, with a little tang from a dash of lemon juice.

Alternatively, violet flowers can be used to prepare a vinaigrette to dress a salad with. This is made by infusing vinegar with violet flowers, blending the sweetness of the violet flavor with the sharpness of the vinegar. This can be used to make your violet salad extra fragrant, or it can be used just as well to give a sweet aroma to any other salad. Try drizzling a little over some grated carrots!

You may have heard of violet mustard, but it's easy to get confused here. A traditional French condiment is known as Moutarde Violette de Brive, commonly known in English, simply, as violet mustard. However, despite the name and color, this mustard is not actually made with violets. Traditionally, it's made with grape mush leftover from winemaking. At home, it can be prepared with a little red wine and/or ruby port, complementing the sharp flavor of the mustard with the tang of grapes.

However, mustard infused with actual violet flowers also exists in France. Somewhat rarer, it's known simply as moutarde à la violette, and it's a more fragrant version of regular French mustard. This can be quite easily made at home by adding a couple of drops of violet essence to some good-quality French mustard, and it goes well with white meats like pork or poultry like chicken or duck. Additionally, it can be used to prepare a fragrant white sauce to enjoy with some grilled fish.

There are a few types of liqueur made with violets, and they all have a strikingly rich purple color. The three that you're most likely to encounter are Crème de Violette, Crème Yvette, and Parfait d'Amour, which all have different flavor profiles. The latter two have a few other ingredients blended in, with Crème Yvette also containing summer fruits like raspberry and blackberry, and Parfait d'Amour having the additional flavorings of orange and vanilla. Crème de violette has the purest violet flavor, though it sometimes has a brandy base, giving it a hint of fruitiness.

While violet liqueurs are traditionally served as an aperitif or sometimes mixed with vermouth, they can also be used to make colorful cocktails. For mixing drinks, crème de violette is the best option. The floral violet flavor blends very well with the herbal flavors of a good gin or sharper fruity notes like lemon or cherry. This makes a violet gin martini a nice, simple option, mixed with a nice top-shelf gin and some white vermouth. With its bright, fruity flavors, Hendrick's gin is a particularly good choice here. Alternatively, you could try adding a dash of violet liqueur to a fruit-based cocktail like a lemon drop or maybe a lemon margarita. For something with a little more kick, violet-infused gin can also sometimes be bought, or you could try infusing your own by stuffing a gin bottle with fresh violet flowers.