Chai! "Soul Chai's original chai powder is the stuff your mugs dream about when they sleep in your cupboards at night. Bold. Spicy-sweet. Soul-warming. This is chai." 100g / 50 servings for $20 at Beautyhabit, in regular (above right, with black tea) or rooibos (above left).
Two flower-themed videos from Li Ziqi (if you don’t know her, see The Reclusive Food Celebrity Li Ziqi Is My Quarantine Queen at The New York Times or Country life: the young female farmer who is now a top influencer in China at The Guardian). First, she picks flowers to make aromatic dew, which she later uses on a sheet mask. Then below the jump, a spring outing + shearing sheep + lots of cooking with flower petals (this one has no subtitles).
To celebrate “Eat What You Want Day” (although I’m pretty sure I celebrate that most days), some cooking videos. First, a 5 minute excerpt from a documentary on cooking with flowers, from Taste France magazine. Then, below the jump, Iced Lavender Vanilla Latte, followed by Rose and Pistachio Flavoured Kulfi (this recipe calls for gulkand, which is a rose petal jam, and for kulfi molds, although you can use cups or ramekins instead).
Next, we have edible flower pressed shortbread cookies (you can find the whole recipe by clicking through to YouTube; it calls for purchasing edible flowers but you can find a nice list of edible flowers here). Last, edible flower ice cubes.
More recipes: Culinary Lavender, Fig Leaf Syrup, Bronze Goddess Ice Cream, Balmain’s Vent Vert Salad and Chicken, Jasmine and Osmanthus Tea Sorbets, Candied Buddha’s Hand
First, irises at three gardens: RBG’s Laking Garden in 2019, then, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden at the end of April/early May, and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in April. Then we’ve got Cocktails with Iris (Apfel). She will mix her own drink, thank you very much.
Iris Liqueur from Elixir Craft Spirits in Oregon: "Iris takes its name from its main ingredient—genuine iris root. Iris root is legendary for its delicate, violet-like scent. For centuries, Florentines cultivated iris plants in their vineyards to enhance their wines, and used iris root infusions to make floral liqueurs. The precious iris (fleur-de-lis) serves as the official emblem of Florence and the aristocracy even today." $44.99 at Potomac Wine & Spirits (see comments).