Lavender
LAV-en-der
Lavandula angustifolia
Floral, perfumed, sweet, faintly piney.
What it is
Lavender is the fragrant flower of Lavandula angustifolia, the Mediterranean shrub better known for perfume, but the culinary variety is a real, if tricky, kitchen spice. Its flavor is intensely floral and sweet with a faint piney edge, and the line between lovely and soapy is thin, so it is used in tiny amounts. Lavender flavors some honey, shortbread, and fruit desserts, pairs with lamb, and appears in some versions of herbes de Provence, especially North American ones. Only buds sold as culinary lavender should be eaten, since ornamental types may be treated. A little goes a very long way.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: anything where it would taste like soap.
Common in French cooking.
Whole vs ground
Only the dried buds of culinary lavender are used, and very sparingly. A small pinch perfumes a whole batch; too much makes food taste like soap.
How to handle it
Use a tiny amount of culinary buds, steeped in cream or sugar or rubbed into a blend. Restraint is everything, since lavender turns soapy fast.
Storage
Airtight and dark. Dried culinary buds hold their perfume for a year or more.
Buying note
Buy buds labeled culinary or food-grade, not ornamental. Use a fraction of what seems right; it is very strong.
Classic dishes
lavender shortbread, herbes de Provence, lavender honey, fruit desserts.
Out of lavender? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| a little rosemary plus a hint of mint | use sparingly | covers the piney-herbal side, not the floral perfume |
One odd thing
Culinary lavender sits on a knife edge: a pinch perfumes a dish beautifully, while a little too much makes it taste like soap.