Adding flowers to food isn’t a novel idea; chefs have long used blossoms to add visual appeal to salads and scattered colorful petals atop cakes. But in the right hands, any of the nearly 200 species of edible blooms — from the bitter sdao flowers used in Cambodian cuisine to the mildly sweet Eastern redbuds that bloom each spring in Brooklyn — can be more than just a decorative element. “The fresh flower is what most people think of,” says the chef Randy Rucker, 46, but when you, for instance, dry them, ferment them or pulverize them in a blender with lime, “the flavor morphs into something completely different.” We asked Rucker and two other Philadelphia-based chefs to show us how they harness the taste of edible flowers, with recipes that are a celebration of summer’s fleeting abundance.
For our 2026 Summer Entertaining Issue, T drops in on meals shared around the world — and offers tips for your own gatherings.
– Fresh-cut herbs and a tea party: New Jersey never smelled this good.
– In Mexico City, a seafood feast enjoyed amid vibrant market blooms.
– Sidewalk dining on a hot night in Bangkok.
– A pair of American artists throw a garden party on the Spanish island of Minorca.
– Craft your own Icelandic poppy centerpiece from crepe paper.
– Expert advice on how to be a good guest (the kind that gets asked back) at a dinner party.
– Chefs’ recipes for edible flowers in dishes savory and sweet.
Rhonda Saltzman’s Jasmine Blossom Doughnuts
During the pastry chef Rhonda Saltzman’s childhood, challah always signified tradition, community and the arrival of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest that begins at sunset each Friday. Years later, Saltzman, now 34 and a co-owner, with her sister Mercedes Brooks of Second Daughter, a bustling bakery that opened in 2021 in South Philadelphia, realized the same enriched dough could be used for sticky buns, dinner rolls and these exceptionally light doughnuts. To make them, she uses flowers two ways, steeping jasmine blossoms — which have a delicate, sweet flavor — into the glaze, and then sprinkling a mix of edible flowers (use whatever you can get at your local farmer’s market) on top to add color and texture.
Make the dough
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, milk, honey, sugar, olive oil and eggs. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flour, yeast and salt.
2. Set a timer. Mix on lowest speed for 2 minutes to incorporate the ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix for 12 more minutes, until the dough is smooth and beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Increase speed again to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes, until the dough is slightly tacky and elastic.
3. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside. Form into a boule by pulling the edges of the dough toward the center, one side at a time, repeating until the shape is tight and compact. Pinch the edges closed at the center and flip the boule seam-side down so the surface is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer immediately to the refrigerator and ferment for at least 8 hours and up to 24. (Longer fermentation will reward you with a more complex flavor and a springier, more open crumb.)
Shape and proof
1. The next day, place a baking dish on the lowest oven rack. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. While the water boils, line two sheet pans with parchment paper cut into 4-inch squares — one for each doughnut — and lightly coat each with nonstick spray.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Using a bench knife and scale, divide into 12 equal portions, each roughly the size of a large golf ball (about 105 grams). Shape each piece by bringing the corners to the center, pinching to seal, then flipping seam-side down and rolling gently with cupped hands into a smooth, taut ball. Place each ball on a prepared parchment square.
4. Pour the boiling water into the baking dish and place the sheet pans on the highest oven rack. Close the oven door and leave the dough balls to proof in the unheated oven for 45 minutes, until doubled in size, about 4 inches across, and marshmallow soft.
Fry
1. While doughnuts are proofing, heat the oil in a high-walled pot over medium low until it reaches 350°F. Just before frying each batch, use a 1-inch round cutter to punch out the centers of the dough balls. (Cutting too early in the process can cause the doughnuts to lose their shape.)
2. Placing your hand under a parchment square, flip the doughnut over and into the oil. After about 10 seconds, remove the parchment with tongs. Fry for 2 minutes per side, until deep golden brown on both sides. While one batch of three to four doughnuts fries — avoid overcrowding them in the oil — cut the centers from the next batch. Transfer the fried doughnuts to a wire rack and let cool for at least 5 minutes before glazing.
Glaze and finish
1. Heat the milk and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium low until steaming and just beginning to simmer. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat, stir in the jasmine flowers, cover and steep for 20 minutes.
2. Strain out the flowers and let the infused milk cool completely. Stir in the vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and salt. Gradually whisk in the jasmine-milk mixture until the glaze is smooth and thick but still pourable.
4. After the doughnuts have cooled, dip each one halfway into the glaze, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl, then return it to the rack. Glaze three doughnuts at a time, then gently press the flowers on while the glaze is tacky but not fully set. Continue glazing and decorating in batches. If the glaze hardens too quickly, dab a little fresh glaze onto the back of a flower before attaching. Let the glaze set completely before moving the doughnuts.
Makara Peng’s Sdao Salad
The taste of sdao — the young leaves and buds of the neem tree — instantly transports the chef Makara Peng, 36, the owner of I Heart Cambodia in South Philadelphia, back home to Phnom Penh. A staple of Cambodian cooking, the ingredient is traditionally harvested during the country’s cool, dry season, from January to April. Cooks select the youngest, tenderest stems and blanch them in water or fish sauce, often serving them in a tamarind dressing that tempers their bitterness, but only to a point. “It’s a flavor that many Cambodians cherish,” Peng says. His preferred preparation is ngorm sdao, a chilled salad that combines the leaves and buds with fish, vegetables, herbs and peanuts. The dish, famous at his restaurant, is sweet, sour and bitter all at once, capturing a tension that’s core to Cambodian cuisine.
1. Prepare the sdao by stripping the flower buds and leaves from the stems. (The stems are not used in this recipe.) Wash the buds and leaves thoroughly. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the sdao leaves and flower buds for 10 to 15 seconds to reduce bitterness, then transfer to ice water. Drain and set aside.
2. Fill a pot with water and place garlic, shallots, lemongrass and lime leaves in it. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and add the fish, adding more water as needed to ensure fish is covered. Cook until the fish is nearly done, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside. Discard the lemongrass and lime leaves from the broth and add prahok (or fish sauce), palm sugar, tamarind (or lime or lemon juice), salt and monosodium glutamate. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let the broth cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine the fish, blanched sdao leaves and flowers, vegetables and seasoned broth, along with the protein of your choice, if desired. Plate and garnish with Thai basil, peanuts and red chiles (optional). Serve hot with a side of steamed jasmine rice or enjoy as a cold salad.
Randy Rucker’s Borage Aguachile
The menu at River Twice, in Philadelphia’s East Passyunk Crossing neighborhood, changes daily based on local harvests. “We accept whatever Mother Nature’s given us and figure out what the hell to do with it,” says Rucker, who runs the place with his wife, Amanda, 36. Flowers arrive like any other ingredient: A farmer, he says, will call him and say, “Dude, I’m swimming in magnolia blossoms,” and he’ll stock up. When borage, a Mediterranean herb with fuzzy stems and star-shaped flowers that tastes faintly of cucumber, arrives in late spring, Rucker likes to make aguachile. Borage isn’t a traditional ingredient — the Mexican dish typically comprises raw seafood in a chile-lime sauce — but it offsets the spice, providing some relief from all that serrano.
Prepare ingredients
1. Run the cucumber over a mandolin or through a vegetable peeler to make long ribbons. (No need to peel or seed.) Toss these in a shallow bowl with rice wine vinegar, salt and mirin. Marinate up to 3 hours, until pliable enough to bend and fold.
2. To make the aguachile marinade, combine ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until needed. Prepare as close to serving time as possible to minimize oxidation and preserve the bright green color.
3. Prepare the scallops. Just before serving, season with salt, a few drops of amino seasoning, yuzu juice and olive oil.
Assemble
1. Arrange the seasoned scallops in shallow bowls. Drape cucumber ribbons over the scallops and garnish with borage flowers and cilantro leaves.
2. Pour the aguachile marinade so that you have a shallow pool of sauce that covers the bottom third of the scallops. (You’ll have more marinade than you need.)
3. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of rice wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately.