Petal Pushers

Sourcing dried flowers for use in delicious (and Instagrammable) recipes

IF YOU ARE ANYTHING LIKE ME, YOU ARE A sucker for beautifully photographed recipes and they often inspire you to experiment in the kitchen. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with any food or beverage employing dried rose petals. Ice cubes with petals frozen inside are a particular favorite, as well as rose petal garnishes and rose petal-infused cookies. Not only are all the above delicious, but also how decadent to serve beautiful, rose-flavored and bedazzled treats to your friends and loved ones? That said, to have rose-colored dreams is one thing; to make them a reality is quite another.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts to find culinary grade (an important distinction) dried rose petals locally at natural food stores and Asian markets, I did what everyone else does and asked Facebook. For one brief and shining moment in time, the Facebook cesspool ceased to “cess” and friends all over New Orleans came through with leads aplenty.

If you too are trying to track down dried rose petals that can be consumed, here are a few places you can source these flavor and aesthetic enhancers:

• The fabulous and ever-knowledgeable New Orleans food writer and erstwhile cooking instructor Jyl Benson tipped me off that the International Market inside Mona’s Café in Mid-City often carries dried rose petals, as well as rose water. (monascafeanddeli.com)

• Rosalie Botanicals in Mid-City also carries organic dried rose petals, as well as tea blends featuring the flower, plus all of the incense, sage and other herb and floral bundles for burning and other goodies. (rosaliebotanicals.com)

• Ultimately, I sourced my petals from Jo LaRocca of Jo Jo’s Garden. LaRocca, who is based in Bywater, supplies herbs, produce and dried edible flowers and herbs to many of the restaurants and bars in New Orleans, as well as to individuals. (instagram.com/jojos_garden)

The aforementioned places and people also supply a host of other dried (and in LaRocca’s case fresh) edible flowers for decorating and flavoring drinks and dishes, new and old, so when you visit or chat them up, take notes for your future #foodspo moments. Soon, your blooming beverages and blossoming cuisine will be the talk of the table.

MELANIE WARNER SPENCER