Produce Briefs...
Calamondin Limes
The Calamondin lime, scientific name, X Citrofortunella mitis & Citrus microcarpa, is also known as the lime orange, Chinese orange or Calamondin orange.
Salanova® Lettuces
Salanova® lettuce is a full-sized variety developed for the baby lettuce market. Botanically these varieties are scientifically known as Lactuca sativa.
Pinkglow™ Pineapple
Pinkglow™ pineapples are small to medium fruits with an oval to cylindrical shape.
Description/Taste
Orchids widely range in size and appearance, depending on the specific variety and species. The blooms generally have an exotic shape, comprised of angular, wide-spreading petals, broad and flat petals, frilled, ruffled petals, to elongated, thin, and slender petals with sloping curves. One of the most common Orchids seen in culinary preparations is a bloom of 5 to 6 petals with a dark purple hue on the edges of the flower, transitioning into a crisp white in the center. Orchids also vary in color, appearing in shades of pink, green, dark purple, lavender, violet, blue, yellow, to white. Each petal is smooth, velvety, and soft with a crisp, succulent, and tender consistency. Some Orchid varieties are aromatic with a honeyed, floral vanilla scent to grass-like aroma, while other types exhibit little to no fragrance. Orchids have a neutral, sometimes light, and bland flavor reminiscent of green vegetables like endive, chicory, and cucumbers. The taste will primarily depend on the specific Orchid variety, but most flowers have a faint, vegetal flavor with a subtly sweet or bitter aftertaste.
Seasons/Availability
Orchids are available year-round.
Current Facts
Orchids, botanically a part of the Orchis genus, are exotic, uniquely shaped flowers belonging to the Orchidaceae family. There are over 28,000 reported species of Orchids naturally found worldwide, making it one of the largest families of flowering plants and over 100,000 hybrid cultivars that have been developed since the 1800s. Orchids are highly prized for their whimsical and romantic appearance, showcasing vivacious colors, shapes, and aromas, but these ornamental flowers have also been used for thousands of years in culinary and medicinal preparations. Within the Orchis genus, many Orchid varieties are regarded as edible, bearing a somewhat subtle green to grassy flavor. These Orchids are often found within the Dendrobium species, but other Orchid species are utilized worldwide for culinary preparations and in mixology. Orchids can be used as an attractive garnish, used in a wide variety of fresh and cooked preparations, and the flowers provide a contemporary, exotic appearance, elevating the dining experience. It is vital to source edible Orchids from reputable distributors and growers to ensure the flowers are safe for consumption. While many Orchid varieties are edible, some will cause indigestion and upset stomach. One of the most commonly used Orchids for culinary garnishes is known as the karma orchid, the purple and white Orchid seen in the photograph above.
Nutritional Value
Orchids are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation. The flowers also provide antioxidants to protect the cells against free radical damage from external environmental aggressors, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, and calcium to maintain teeth and bone health. Beyond vitamins and minerals, Orchids have been incorporated into natural medicines worldwide. In China, the flowers are traditionally dried and steeped into a medicinal tea, believed to help fight against disease, soothe headaches, and maintain overall health. The blooms were also used in Turkey to create a powder that is mixed into drinks to ease gum pain and an inflamed digestive tract.
Applications
Orchids have a neutral, very subtle flavor, allowing the flowers to be added to an array of fresh and cooked culinary preparations. The most straightforward use of Orchids involves placing whole flowers on cakes, pastries, cheese boards, or alongside savory main dishes. The flowers can also be candied and dusted as a sweet decoration on desserts, dipped into chocolate, scattered into salads, mixed into stir-fries, incorporated into sorbet, or garnished over seafood dishes, depending on the size of the bloom. Beyond using the flowers whole, Orchids can be pulled apart, and the petals can be dried and boiled for tea, simmered into sauces, infused into marinades, or cooked into jams. In Southeast Asia, some Orchid varieties are battered and fried as a crunchy, succulent snack or floated over soups and curries. Orchids are also used to make the famous salep powder in Turkey, comprised of Orchids and dried tubers. The powder is mixed with warm spices to create frothy beverages, or it is combined with sugar, milk, and mastic to make a chewy, sticky dessert known as dondurma. Worldwide, Orchids have become a favored garnish of mixologists as the flowers contribute color, texture, and enhanced visual appeal to cocktails, sparkling beverages, and fruit drinks. Orchids pair well with tropical fruits such as pineapple, guava, passionfruit, and coconut, dark leafy greens, spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, vanilla, and barbequed meats. Whole, unwashed Orchids will keep 4 to 5 days when stored in a ventilated container in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In Victorian England, Orchids became one of the most popular flowers to grow in private greenhouses. The flowers were first introduced by explorers returning from faraway lands in the 18th century, but Orchids did not attract attention in England until Charles Darwin began publishing papers about the striking flower. Orchids were seen as exotic symbols of luxury, beauty, and exclusivity, as the flowers had to be transported from other continents to be offered in England. The flowers became so highly desired among the upper and middle classes that the time period between 1837 and 1901 was labeled as “orchidelirium.” Queen Victoria was also enamored with Orchids during this time and appointed horticulturist Frederick Sander to be her “Royal Orchid Grower.” Sander was nicknamed the Orchid King, and legend has it that he claimed to have an Orchid from every part of the world in his private collection. Sander also, at one point, hired over twenty-three Orchid hunters to travel around the world in search of new Orchid varieties. Orchid hunters were ruthless businessmen that had to survive disease, betrayal, insects, hostile peoples, and deadly animals to acquire new Orchid varieties, and oftentimes the Orchid populations were decimated after the hunters stole most of the plants. This period of ransacking almost caused many Orchid species to become extinct. At the beginning of “orchidelirium,” nobility and the upper class were the only ones who could afford Orchids, paying the Orchid hunters for their stories as much as the flowers. Over time, more nurseries began hiring hunters to seek out new Orchids, allowing the nurseries to lower the flower’s price, offering the exotic blooms to new industrial money families and the middle class. “Orchidelirium” cost many hunters and Orchid species their lives, and much of the worldwide regulation on Orchid species in the modern-day was established because of this time period.
Geography/History
Orchids are ancient flowers that have been growing wild for millions of years. Experts believe the flowers are native to regions surrounding the equator and were naturally spread over time, presently found on every continent except for Antarctica. The first written records of Orchids appeared in medicinal texts in China thousands of years ago and in Ancient Greece around 300 BCE. In Greece, the flowers were documented by Dioscorides, the Greek botanist who was the original scientist to label the flowers under the name Orchid. The Aztecs also used various species of Orchids in medicinal tonics and social beverages. In 1731, Orchids were transported from the Bahamas to England with returning explorers and were gifted to nobility and horticulturists for further study and cultivation. The flowers were also brought from China and the West Indies and were planted in the Royal Botanic Garden in Great Britain. Orchids did not attract much attention in England until the mid to late 19th century, where the plants became a highly sought-after exotic addition to home gardens. During the Orchid craze of Victorian England, many new hybrid species were developed, and some of those varieties are still sold in commercial marketplaces in the present day. Recently Orchids have also become an extensively protected species due to historical overharvesting almost to the point of extinction. Today Orchids are cultivated worldwide for culinary and ornamental use and can be found through specialty grocers and distributors.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Carte Hotel | San Diego CA | 619-365-1858 |
| The Guild Hotel | San Diego CA | 858-373-3184 |
| Paradise Point The Spa | San Diego CA | 858-490-6363 |
| Continental Catering Inc | La Mesa CA | 907-738-9264 |
| Morgan Run Resort and Club | Rancho Sante Fe CA | 858-756-2471 |
| Craft House Sky Deck | San Diego CA | 619-948-4458 |
| Bayhill Tavern | San Diego CA | 858-288-6923 |
| Miss B's Coconut Club | San Diego CA | 858-381-0855 |
| Under Belly-Little Italy Bar | San Diego CA | 619-269-4626 |
| Cardellino | San Diego CA | 619-722-3398 |
| Green Dragon Tavern & Museum | Carlsbad CA | 760-797-5579 |
| Michele Coulon Dessertier | San Diego CA | 858-456-5098 |
| Rabbit Hole | San Diego CA | 619-255-4653 |
| Las Tres Catrinas Restaurant Bar LLC | Chula Vista CA | 619-240-9133 |
| Madison | San Diego CA | 619-822-3465 |
| Public House 131 | San Diego CA | 858-537-0890 |
| Wonderland Ocean Pub | San Diego CA | 619-255-3358 |
| Grass Skirt (Bar) | San Diego CA | 858-412-5237 |
| Bang Bang 2021 | San Diego CA | 619-382-8938 |
| Polite Provisions | San Diego CA | 619-677-3784 |
| The Farm Golf Club | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-756-5585 |
| Pacific Coast Spirits Bar | Oceanside CA | 925-381-5392 |
| Cutwater Spirits (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-672-3848 |
| Marriott Courtyard Nolen | San Diego CA | 619-544-1004 |
| Zinque | San Diego CA | 559-281-2485 |
| UCSD Food & Nutrition Department Hillcrest | San Diego CA | 619-380-9840 |
| Sidebar - Market SB, LLC | San Diego CA | 619-696-0946 |
| Municipal Taco | Oceanside CA | 760-231-1999 |
| SandBox Pizza | San Diego CA | 858-272-7263 |
| Viejas Casino Banquets | Alpine Ca | 619-295-3172 |
| Shakespeare's Corner Shoppe & Afternoon Tea | San Diego CA | 619-683-2748 |
| Raki Raki & Co. | San Diego CA | 858-573-2400 |
| Craft and Commerce Bar | San Diego CA | 619-269-0288 |
| US Grant Hotel Main | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Louisiana Purchase | San Diego CA | 619-255-8278 |
| Rancho Valencia Spa | Del Mar CA | 858-759-6490 |
| Marriott Courtyard Nolen (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-544-1004 |
| Five Oceans Fish Market | San Diego CA | 858-261-1796 |
| Shorehouse Kitchen | La Jolla CA | 858-459-3300 |
| Cloak and Petal Bar | San Diego CA | 619-501-5505 |
| Monarch (Bar) | Del Mar CA | 619-308-6500 |
| Hotel Del Coronado Serea Restaurant Bar | Coronado CA | 619-435-6611 |
| The Holding Company | San Diego CA | 619-665-1251 |
| Portside Pier (Brigantine) | San Diego CA | 858-268-1030 |
| Red Tail Catering | San Marcos CA | 858-605-8219 |
| Pendry SD (Provisional) | San Diego CA | 619-738-7000 |
| Truluck's Seafood Steak and Crab House | San Diego CA | 858-453-2583 |
| Sushi Nekosan | La Jolla CA | 858-999-0999 |
| Alila Marea Beach Resort (Banquets) | Encinitas CA | 805-539-9719 |
| Understory | San Diego CA | 516-507-0101 |
| Oyster and Pearl Bar Restaurant | La Mesa CA | 619-303-8118 |
| Cal A Vie | Vista CA | 760-945-2055 |
| Palmys | San Diego CA | 858-886-7111 |
| Fresh Sushi Catering | Carlsbad CA | 858-344-7098 |
| Del Mar Country Club | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-759-5500 x207 |
| insideOUT (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-793-9221 |
| Single Fin Surf Grill | San Diego CA | 619-948-7873 |
| Split Bakehouse | San Diego CA | 619-356-3822 |
| Under Belly-Uptown (Bar) | 104 CA | 619-269-4626 |
| Lumi (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-955-5750 |
| The Lion Share Bar | San Diego CA | 619-564-6924 |
| Smoking Gun (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-276-6700 |
| Mission Ave Bar and Grill | Oceanside CA | 760-717-5899 |
| Born & Raised (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-550-5412 |
| The Switchboard Restaurant and Bar | Oceanside CA | 442-266-2781 |
| Salt & Whiskey | San Diego CA | 619-214-9519 |
| Cardellino (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-722-3398 |
| Now Sushi | San Diego CA | 858-246-6179 |
| Lafayette Hotel | San Diego CA | 619-296-2101 |
| Beeside Balcony | Del Mar CA | 858-880-8105 |
| The Corner Drafthouse | San Diego CA | 619-255-2631 |
| Shake and Muddle | Chula Vista CA | 619-816-5429 |
| La Dona | San Diego CA | 858-352-8134 |
| Park 101 | Carlsbad CA | 760-434-2217 |
| US Grant Hotel Grill | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Puesto-Downtown | San Diego CA | 619-233-8880 |
| Storyhouse Spirits Bar | San Diego CA | 801-949-5955 |
| Farmer and The Seahorse 2020 | San Diego CA | 619-302-3682 |
| Animae (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-925-7908 |
| Stake Chophouse & Bar | Coronado CA | 619-522-0077 |
| Le Parfait Paris- Downtown | San Diego CA | 619-245-4457 |
| Urbana Mexican Gastronomy | San Diego CA | 949-413-3352 |
| Gossip Grill (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-260-8023 |
| Shorehouse Kitchen Carlsbad | Carlsbad CA | 858-663-9916 |
| Cody's at the Cove | La Jolla CA | 858-459-0040 |
| Azucar | San Diego CA | 619-523-2020 |
| Hoxton Manor LLC | San Diego CA | 760-586-9533 |
| Bahia Resort Hotel | San Diego CA | 858-488-0551 |
| The Seabird Resort | Oceanside CA | 951-704-9703 |
| UCSD Food & Nutrition Department La Jolla | San Diego CA | 808-868-8639 |
| Sets Kitchen and Bar | San Marcos CA | 970-390-2148 |
| Gelato 101 | Encinitas CA | 760-487-5272 |
| GoodOnYa | Encinitas CA | 949-295-3145 |
| One Door North | San Diego CA | 858-232-4220 |
| Raised By Wolves | San Diego CA | 916-207-1076 |
| False Idol | San Diego CA | 619-269-2202 |
| Morning Glory (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-629-0302 |
| Moxy San Diego Gaslamp | San Diego CA | 619-376-1850 |
| La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club | San Diego CA | 858-454-7126 |
| Tartine | Coronado CA | 619-435-4323 |
| Snake Oil Cocktail Company LLC | San Diego CA | 619-754-4041 |
