Edible Flowers: How, Why, and When We Eat Flowers

A beautiful and illuminating guide to the use and cultural history of edible flowers, featuring gorgeous original photography, simple recipes and preparation methods, and thoughtful essays on eating flowers by leading voices. This stunning guide to edible flowers–conceived by Monica Nelson, the founding creative and photo director of the influential journal Wilder Quarterly, and Adrianna Glaviano, a noted food and lifestyle photographer–is packed with information and features lush original photography.

Organizing more than 100 flowers alphabetically by their common name, the book offers in each entry handy reference notes including the flower’s Latin name, its general flavor profile, its origins, and which parts of the plant are edible, all accompanied by a vibrant photographic portrait. Punctuated by simple recipes and short, essayistic moments written by a diverse roster of celebrated chefs, artists, and writers recalling the use of edible flowers in their creative and gastronomic histories, Edible Flowers is both a practical primer and a delightful read.

Monica Nelson is a writer and graphic designer in New York. She has developed strategic visual narratives for publications, cultural institutions, and brands, among them Gap, Kate Spade, and Levis, working with over 100 photographers–some emerging, some Magnum. She was the founding creative and photo director of Wilder Quarterly, which fostered a floral-drenched view of the natural world.

Adrianna Glaviano is a photographer who collaborates with magazines and brands to shoot interiors, food, travel, art, architecture, and fashion. She is currently working on the forthcoming cookbook Green with artist Laila Gohar, to be published by Apartamento Studios. Other selected clients include Wall Street Journal, Apartamento, PIN-UP, The Gourmand, Wallpaper*, AD France, Casa Vogue, Swiss Airlines, and T Magazine.