- Non-toxic like all other leek plants
- Ornamental and useful plant in one
- All parts of the plant are edible
- Consumption suggestions - ornamental onions in the kitchen
- Many types of ornamental onions have been food for a long time
When tall strains are in their flowering period, they attract a lot of attention. But has it ever occurred to you to eat these ornamental plants?
All parts of the ornamental onion are edible, even the flowers!
Non-toxic like all other leek plants
Basically, the ornamental onion is not poisonous. It is irrelevant what type or variety it is. These members of the leek family are always free of toxins.
Ornamental and useful plant in one
Similar to vegetable onions, spring onions, chives, garlic and wild garlic, ornamental onions are edible. Of course, very few gardeners have the idea of eating their ornamental onions. After all, it is primarily an ornamental plant and less a food.
All parts of the plant are edible
In general, you can eat all parts of your ornamental onions. The stems, leaves and flowers are edible. You can even eat the onions. However, if you think that these parts of the plant taste like the commercially available leeks, you are wrong. On the one hand they are less aromatic and on the other hand not as fine.
Consumption suggestions - ornamental onions in the kitchen
Depending on the variety, either the leaves or stems or the flowers are better. The onions are generally good to use. Here are a few ideas of what you can do with ornamental onions in the kitchen.
- Use flowers and young shoots for salads
- Bread the buds and deep fry or fry
- Stew the stems and leaves
- Use flowers for garnish
- Use the leaves, stalks and onion for sauces
- all plant parts for smoothies and stews
Many types of ornamental onions have been food for a long time
Did you know? Some ornamental onion species such as the ball-headed onion (Allium sphaerocephalon) have long been valued as food. For example, the ball-headed leek is eaten in Siberia, the vine leek is known for dressing salads, and Allium cernuum and Allium canadens were popular foods with the Indians of North America.
tips
You can simply nibble on the ornamental onion pure, for example to get a good taste in your mouth. But to be honest, the parts of the plant are less enjoyable in their pure state. It is better to use them wisely in the kitchen.