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What Is Lavender and How Do You Use It?

What Is Culinary Lavender and How Do You Use It?

Culinary lavender is a flowering herb that is a member of the mint family. This colorful, fragrant, and delicious floral ingredient is widely used in the cooking of the Provence region of France, especially in dishes with lamb. Used carefully, lavender lends a subtle, flowery taste to savory as well as desserts. When using lavender in cooking, it is important to take care so that the fragrance does not overwhelm the other flavors in the recipe. This is especially important when marinating meats. Over-marinating can easily result in a disagreeable flavor.

Herbes de Provence with Lavender: Adding lavender in small amounts to Herbes de Provence enhances the wonderful flavors of this spice combination.

Lavender is delicious when added to red meat, game and game birds; for fish as well as crustaceans; and with red and black fruits such as blackberries, currants and plums. Lavender is also wonderful in flavoring desserts such as ice cream, sorbets, and baked dishes.