What do you think of when I say the word lavender? Do you think of your grandmother’s perfume? (Or even worse, your mother’s grandmother?) Do you think of harsh and cloying candles or aromatherapy? Or do you think of culinary masterpieces? Would you imagine lavender to be an up-and-coming ingredient in the culinary world? Who would have guessed that something which has been with us since ancient times would be the new rising star on savory and sweet culinary menus?
As so many factors come together in a perfect storm of flavorful joy (internet recipes, Pinterest, blogging, COVID-19), we find lavender used in savory dishes perhaps a bit unexpectedly. After all, who would have imagined that a strongly floral ingredient such as lavender would find a happy place in savory? Enter chef Julia Child who reigned supreme as the French chef during the early 1960s through the early 1970s. She introduced the world of French cooking to the American public in an enjoyable and informative manner in one of the very first cooking shows on television. Who could have ever predicted that cooking shows would entertain millions and upgrade kitchen fares across America for decades to come? Child included a recipe for Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence in her classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Since then, that blend has been used in a variety of stews, sauces, cheeses and in unexpected recipes such as deviled eggs, turkey soup and roasted asparagus and tomato penne salad. Then in 2009 the movie Julie and Julia burst out onto the landscape and those at-home chefs who maybe dabbled in upscale and restaurant-quality cooking at home then began a movement and interest in home cooking in earnest for young chefs still going strong. If you Google recipe blogging, you get 1.1 trillion hits!
To explore the entire article, visit Perfumer & Flavorist+’s April issue.
