Herb crystals are flowers that people can eat, which is why they’re sometimes referred to as “edible flowers.” This is unique in that most flowers cannot be ate by humans. Those herb crystals that humans can eat are typically used as garnishes for entrees and desserts. Sometimes chefs incorporate them into a dish as an ingredient. The best known herb crystals can also be found in flower boutiques. They include nasturtiums, bean blossoms, and miniature pansies.
The most common usage for herb crystals is making herbal tea. One of the most commonly used herb crystals for tea making is chamomile. These flowers are harvested and dried prior to being used in making decaffeinated tea or a decaffeinated tea blend. A lot of people enjoy the fact that this tea is relaxing, thus enabling to fall asleep at night. Some of the other herb crystals that are commonly used in making tea and tea blends are lemon verbena and hibiscus.
You may be surprised to learn that some herb crystals aren’t flowers at all. Instead, they are fruit. This has become increasingly popular within the past few years. Herein fruit baskets are designed and displayed in such a way that they actually look like herb crystals instead of fruit. For instance, a melon may be cut to resemble a daisy while a strawberry or a grape may be cut to look like the center of a flower. While these aren’t herb crystals, oftentimes they’re marketed as a type of edible flower basket.
Whenever you’re cooking with herb crystals it is important to make sure that what you’re using really is edible. Since the plant kingdom is so big, it’s only natural that some species would closely resemble one another. This is the same thing that we’ve learned a long time ago that it is important to do with wild mushrooms.