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Ramps
The wild ramp, AKA wild leek, botanical name Allium tricoccum, is a flowering perennial plant that grows in clusters. It is a member of the Allium family along with onions and leeks
Calamondin Limes
The Calamondin lime is a cross between a sour, loose skinned mandarin and a kumquat, therefore technically making it an orangequat.
Salanova® Lettuces
Salanova® lettuce is a full-sized variety developed for the baby lettuce market. Botanically these varieties are scientifically known as Lactuca sativa.
Description/Taste
Pansies widely range in size, depending on the specific variety, and generally average 4 to 10 centimeters in diameter with five petals. The flowers have a flat appearance and are comprised of thin, delicate, and broad, curved petals with a soft, smooth, and silky consistency. The petals also differ in colors, some with solid hues of bright yellow, orange, royal purple, pink, crimson, white, and blue, while others display showy combinations of multiple colors with striping and black splashes in the center of the bloom. Pansies are entirely edible and contain a crisp, succulent, and tender texture with a faint, perfumed scent. The colorful flowers also bear a subtly sweet, mild, and tangy, vegetal flavor with light mint, grassy, and wintergreen nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Pansies are available year-round, with a peak season in the spring.
Current Facts
Pansies are a part of the Viola genus and are colorful, edible flowers belonging to the Violaceae family. The flat, delicate blooms offer mild flavors, textures, and colors to culinary dishes and are most commonly used as an accent to both savory and sweet culinary applications. Pansies are one of the most popular edible flowers grown by Fresh Origins Farm in San Diego, California. Pansies have been growing wild for centuries, but Fresh Origins cultivates, hand selects, and develops a curated mix of colorful blooms to provide chefs with a unique, edible garnish to elevate the dining experience. Pansies can be used whole, or the petals can be separated and sprinkled as a whimsical, floral element in culinary dishes and mixology.
Nutritional Value
Pansies contain antifungal and antibacterial properties that can be applied topically to the skin to assist with common irritations and inflammation. The flowers are also a source of vitamins A and C, nutrients with antioxidant-like properties to strengthen the immune system, boost collagen production within the skin, and defend the cells against damage inflicted by external environmental aggressors. In natural medicines, the flowers are steeped into teas and used to soothe coughs and sore throats.
Applications
Pansies have a mild, vegetal flavor, brightly colored appearance, and delicate nature that are showcased when added at the end of preparations to avoid wilting. The entire flower can be consumed, or the petals can be used individually. Pansies are a favored edible garnish, placed in salads and fruit bowls or used as decoration for cakes, tarts, cupcakes, and brownies. The fresh flowers can be stacked, piled, or angled against other edible toppings to build height on desserts, or single flowers can be gently pressed into frostings, cookies, and tarts for added visual appeal. Pansies can also be rolled onto logs of cheese and displayed on appetizer plates, used as a topping over pancakes, sorbet, ice cream, and shaved ice, mixed into vegetable grain bowls, or floated on soups. Petals can be sprinkled over salads, bread, and stirred into dips and butter, or they can be frozen into ice cubes for festive beverages. When used for desserts, some chefs crystallize the flowers, brushing with egg whites and coating them in sugar, to develop a crisp and sweet garnish. The flowers can also be incorporated into honey and syrups. Beyond culinary preparations, Pansies add color and subtle flavoring to cocktails, teas, sparkling mocktails, and punches. Pansies pair well with fruits such as blood oranges, raspberries, watermelons, apricots, passion fruit, coconut, and strawberries, arugula, cucumber, honey, vanilla, chocolate, herbs, including thyme, oregano, lavender, and basil, and cheeses such as goat, cream, and cottage. Whole Pansies should be used immediately for the best quality and flower and will keep 2 to 6 days when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The name Pansy is derived from the French word pensée, meaning “thought,” and the flowers were a symbol of remembrance in the Victorian Era. Pansies were a common flower incorporated into tussie-mussies, which were bouquets carried to hold to the nose when passing through areas with foul odors. Tussie-mussies were also believed to help ward off sickness and disease, and young women were socially required to create their own tussie-mussies as a symbol of their status and creativity. The small bouquets could be worn in the hair, attached to a brooch, or held in the hands, and tussie-mussies were often given to ladies by potential suitors as a sign of affection. The flowers used in the gifted bouquet were purposely selected to convey secret messages between the courting couple, and Pansies were frequently used to communicate feelings of love and desire.
Geography/History
Pansies are native to Europe and were formed from natural mutations of ancient viola cultivars. The first wild Pansy was identified and named sometime after the 4th century BCE, and some experts believe the flower was found growing in or near France due to the flower’s French name origins. In the early 1800s, breeder William Thompson, in partnership with Lord Gambier, began crossing viola flowers in Iver, Buckinghamshire, England. Thompson and Gambier developed several new viola species with improved size, color, and shape. Eventually, they created the species Viola x Wittrockiana, which is the most common type of Pansy still grown in the modern-day. Pansies became widely popular for home gardens in Europe during the Victorian Era and were introduced to the New World through garden catalogs in the late 19th century. Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, the flowers were also continually hybridized and cross-bred to produce new varieties. The Pansies featured in the photograph above were cultivated at Fresh Origins Farm in San Diego, California, the leading American producer of naturally grown microgreens and edible flowers since the mid-1990s. Fresh Origins grows over 60 varieties of edible flowers and uses the mild and sunny Southern California climate year-round to produce flavorful, attractive, safe, and quality blooms. Fresh Origins also has the highest level third-party-audited food safety program and is a certified member of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, which follows science-based food safety practices to promote transparency and honesty in production. Pansies sourced from Fresh Origins can be found through select distribution partners of Fresh Origins across the United States, including Specialty Produce, and are also found through partners in Canada.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Cow by Bear | San Diego CA | 415-565-9989 |
| Las Tres Catrinas Restaurant Bar LLC | Chula Vista CA | 619-240-9133 |
| Pacific Beach Ale House Bar | San Diego CA | 858-581-2337 |
| Cal A Vie | Vista CA | 760-945-2055 |
| Graze | San Diego CA | 619-839-9852 |
| You & Yours Distilling Co. | San Diego CA | 214-693-6619 |
| Toast Catering | San Diego CA | 858-208-9422 |
| Don Pietro | San Diego CA | 619-255-7205 |
| Cucina Enoteca | Del Mar CA | 619-239-2222 |
| La Costa Glen North | Carlsbad CA | 760-704-1436 |
| Understory | San Diego CA | 516-507-0101 |
| Monarch | Del Mar CA | 619-308-6500 |
| JRDN Restaurant | San Diego CA | 858-270-5736 |
| Revolution Roasters | Oceanside CA | 760-330-6827 |
| Estancia Adobe | San Diego CA | 858-550-1000 |
| Waverly (Bar) | Cardiff CA | 619-244-0416 |
| Mission Ave Bar and Grill | Oceanside CA | 760-717-5899 |
| Bali Hai Restaurant | San Diego CA | 619-222-1181 |
| Grass Skirt | San Diego CA | 858-412-5237 |
| Cutwater Spirits (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-672-3848 |
| Orfila Vineyards & Winery | Oceanside CA | 760-738-6500 |
| Fresh Sushi Catering | Carlsbad CA | 858-344-7098 |
| University Club | San Diego CA | 619-234-5200 |
| La Costa Glen South | Carlsbad CA | 760-704-1000 |
| Louisiana Purchase | San Diego CA | |
| Verbena Kitchen LLC | San Diego CA | 609-458-1672 |
| Raki Raki (Little Italy) | San Diego CA | 858-302-6405 |
| Craft House Sky Deck | San Diego CA | 619-948-4458 |
| Surf Side Cuisine | San Diego CA | 619-507-0891 |
| Venissimo Cheese North Park | San Diego CA | 619-376-1834 |
| Enclave | Miramar CA | 808-554-4219 |
| The Roxy Encinitas | Encinitas CA | 760-230-2899 |
| Ska Bar & Restaurant | San Diego CA | 925-487-2025 |
| Hotel Del Coronado Serea Restaurant Bar | Coronado CA | 619-435-6611 |
| insideOUT (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-793-9221 |
| Gaslamp Union Kitchen & Tap Bar | San Diego CA | 619-795-9463 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Pansy Flowers. One
is
easiest, three is harder.Recently Shared
People have shared Pansy Flowers using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Sharing allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
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M&S Simply Food
Near London, England, United KingdomAbout a day ago, 7/27/21 Sharer's comments : Fresh edible pansy flowers! 
Central market of Athens Greece 🇬🇷
Nature fresh SA
Near Athens, Attiki, GreeceCentral market of Athens Greece Y-14 About 665 days ago, 10/01/19 Sharer's comments : Pansy flowers 🌺 Locally produce 🇬🇷 |
