Candied Violets from FranceThe French have been using candied violets to decorate cakes and pastries for several hundred years. The sugary flower petals add a subtle flavor and a gorgeous color that you too may enjoy trying. Violets in French HistoryThe idea of eating a flower or using it to flavor food may be new to you, but the French have been using violets for centuries to flavor everything from cough syrup to bonbons. During the middle ages, when sugar was still very rare and reserved only for the elite of society, apothecaries were the principal creators of sweet treats that were supposedly recommended for health problems. It was at this time that the druggists concocted violet syrup which was believed to smooth the voice. ![]() In the first half of the 20th century, the violet industry flourished in the south of France, partly because of its particularity of being a winter blooming plant. However, the winter of 1956 brought unusually bitter weather and the violet crops suffered significant losses. At the same time, other winter blooming flowers were being developed and as a result violet agriculture plummeted. Candied violets were virtually nonexistent for years. Since the mid 1980's however there has been considerable effort to revitalize the industry, and crystallized violets are now being made by several companies in different locations in France. Candied Violets and Other Candied FlowersThese days, a double petaled violet is used to make the crystallized flowers. They are gathered in late winter and early spring and must be a certain size to be used for the crystallization process which involves several steps, including careful drying and immersion in sugar syrup, followed by more drying.
Candied violets
Violet Candy and BeyondIf you are curious about flower flavored foods, you might like to try one of these other confections featuring violets.
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