A Rainbow of Taste

February 2, 2017

Cherries, oranges, lemons, rocket, blueberries, grapes… it’s said that we should eat a rainbow to get all the vitamins and nutrients that we need. But nature’s true colour palette lies not in fruits and veg but in the fields… Have you, I wonder, ever thought of eating flowers?

Edible flowers can be traced back to Roman times, and to the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. And now it’s back in vogue once again, with top chefs all over the world falling over themselves to provide dishes which boast an exquisite rainbow of tastes, flavours and nutrients. Fortunately for us, local cooks have jumped on the trend and restaurants from Paphos to Nicosia are garnishing their cuisine with everything from Sweet Allison to zinnias. And it’s all thanks to Annelie Roux at Stone Castle Microgreens.

Known primarily for their superb punnets of health-boosting, life-giving microgreens, the Paphos-based company has recently diversified into edible flowers. “The idea,” explains Annelie, “actually came from the chefs themselves. We’ve been growing microgreens” – little vegetable or herb plants which contain up to 40 times the nutrients of the adult plant, and provide a wondrous burst of goodness – “since 2015, providing trays and punnets mostly to restaurant and hotel businesses. But we kept being asked if we could grow edible flowers. Well, flowers are very seasonal. Unlike microgreens you can’t grow them all year round; you’re depending on the sun to get them to open, which makes cloudy days very stressful when you’re trying to fulfil an order!” she laughs. “But, towards the end of summer, we decided to go ahead anyway, and the whole business has really taken off!”

As word spreads, Annelie has found herself supplying restaurants (due to the work involved, only wholesale orders can currently be filled) all over the island on a weekly basis. “We have six or seven restaurants that we supply with flowers each week, and others which order for events and parties and special occasions. We cater to the Crystal Marina, Bistro 55, Le Frenchie, The Sailors’ Rest and a number of other outlets in Limassol, along with The Lost and Found Drinkery, Apperitivo, Akakiko and The Skinny Fox in Nicosia, and the Alexander the Great in Paphos.

Source : Cyprus Mail