The Culinary Star: Selecting the Best Lavender Varieties for Your Kitchen
You're on the right track! Not all lavender varieties are created equal when it comes to culinary use. Some are far better suited to the kitchen due to their flavor profile, while others can impart an unpleasant, overly strong, or medicinal taste.
The key difference lies in the camphor content. Camphor is a compound that can give some lavender varieties a strong, pungent, or even "soapy" flavor, which is generally undesirable in food.
The Culinary Star: Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender)
When it comes to culinary applications, the absolute best fresh lavender varieties belong to the species Lavandula angustifolia, commonly known as English lavender or "true lavender."
Here's why English lavender is the top choice for cooking:
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Low Camphor Content: This is the most crucial factor. Lavandula angustifolia varieties naturally have a much lower camphor content compared to other species, resulting in a sweeter, more delicate, and purely floral flavor.
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Sweet and Floral Profile: They offer a balanced, soothingly sweet floral taste and aroma that blends beautifully with both sweet and savory dishes.
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Versatility: Whether you're making lavender lemonade, shortbread cookies, herb rubs, or infusing cream, English lavender provides the desired subtle yet distinct flavor.
Popular Lavandula angustifolia Cultivars for Culinary Use:
While any Lavandula angustifolia cultivar is generally considered edible, some are particularly favored by chefs and home cooks for their excellent flavor and aromatic qualities:
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'Munstead': A very popular choice, known for its sweet, well-balanced fragrance and medium purple flowers. It works beautifully in both sweet and savory dishes.
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'Hidcote': Features dark purple flowers and a strong, sweet fragrance. It's excellent for making lavender sugar and infusions, and it holds its flavor well during baking.
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'Royal Velvet': This variety offers deep purple buds that retain their color well, making it great for both flavor and visual appeal in desserts. It has a smooth, gentle floral taste.
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'Folgate': An early-blooming variety with light bluish flowers, known for its pleasant citrus-floral notes.
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'Melissa': A cultivar with light pink to whitish flowers, often described as having a sweet, floral, and sometimes slightly peppery undertone, particularly good in desserts and teas.
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'Buena Vista': Offers a tangy spice note and is a popular choice for its flavor and multiple blooms throughout the season.
Varieties to Use with Caution (or Avoid for Culinary Purposes)
While technically all lavender flowers are non-toxic, many other species are not recommended for culinary use due to their high camphor content and more pungent, less appealing flavors.
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Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin, or Hybrid Lavender): This is a hybrid cross between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia (Spike Lavender), which is very high in camphor. Lavandins like 'Grosso' and 'Provence' are commonly grown for essential oil production, dried bouquets, and sachets because they produce a lot of oil and have a strong fragrance. However, their flavor is often sharper, more bitter, and woodier, making them less suitable for most culinary applications. Some sources note that 'Provence' can be used sparingly in savory dishes due to its relatively lower camphor among lavandins, but it's not as universally recommended as English lavender.
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Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender or Butterfly Lavender): Primarily ornamental, these varieties have a strong, sometimes medicinal or piney flavor and are generally avoided for cooking.
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Lavandula dentata (French Lavender): Also more for ornamental use, it tends to have a stronger, more herbaceous taste that isn't ideal for delicate culinary creations.
The Golden Rule: Taste Before You Cook!
If you're unsure about a specific lavender plant, the best way to tell if it's suitable for cooking is to crush a small bud between your fingers and smell it. If it smells sweet and purely floral, then taste a tiny bit. If it's light, floral, and sweet, it's likely a good culinary choice. If it smells like Vicks VapoRub or tastes harshly bitter or very camphorous, save it for sachets or admire it in the garden!