Editing Lavandula (section)

=== Culinary ===
[[File:Lavender cupcakes.jpg|thumb|right|Lavender-flavored [[Cupcake|cupcakes]]]]
[[File:Lavender meringue (5895316063).jpg|thumb|right|Lavender [[meringue]]]]
Culinary lavender is usually [[Lavandula angustifolia|English lavender]], the most commonly used species in cooking (''L.&nbsp;angustifolia'' 'Munstead'). As an aromatic, it has a sweet fragrance with [[lemon]] or [[citrus]] notes.<ref name="Lavender">[https://whatscookingamerica.net/Lavender.htm Lavender] WhatsCookingAmerica.net</ref> It is used as a spice or condiment in [[Pasta|pastas]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Havocinthekitchen |first=Ben {{!}} |date=2022-07-14 |title=Pasta Salad with Creamy Lavender Sauce (Unusual but Tasty Pairing) |url=https://www.havocinthekitchen.com/pasta-salad-with-creamy-lavender-sauce/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=www.havocinthekitchen.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Salad|salads]]<ref name=":0" /> and [[Dressing of Salad|dressings]], and [[Dessert|desserts]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/dining/271mrex.html Pasta With Shredded Vegetables and Lavender] Recipe, New York Times, 27 August 2008</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Culinary Herbs: Their Cultivation Harvesting Curing and Uses|year=1912|publisher=Orange Judd Company|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21414/21414-h/21414-h.htm#Page_97|author=M. G. Kains|editor=American Agriculturist|format=English}}</ref> Their buds and greens are used in teas, and their buds, processed by bees, are the essential ingredient of a [[monofloral honey]].<ref name="haze">{{cite web|url=http://www.purplehazelavender.com/cooking.html|title=Cooking with Lavender – Purple Haze Lavender (Sequim, WA)|work=Purple Haze Lavender|access-date=25 August 2008|archive-date=17 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417125855/http://www.purplehazelavender.com/cooking.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>  

==== Culinary history ====
Spanish nard ({{langx|fro|"spykenard de spayn le pays"}}), referring to [[Lavandula stoechas|''L.&nbsp;stoechas'']], is listed as an ingredient in making a spiced wine, namely [[hippocras]], in ''[[The Forme of Cury]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Forme of Cury |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8102/pg8102-images.html |access-date=29 October 2020 |publisher=Project Gutenberg |quote=PUR FAIT YPOCRAS. XX.IX. XI. Treys Unces de canett. & iii unces de gyngeuer, spykenard de Spayn le pays dun denerer, garyngale, clowes, gylofre, poeurer long, noiez mugadez, maziozame cardemonij de chescun i quart' douce grayne & de paradys stour de queynel de chescun dim unce de toutes, soit fait powdour &c.}}</ref>

Lavender was introduced into England in the 1600s. It is said that Queen [[Elizabeth I of England]] prized a lavender conserve (jam) at her table, so lavender was produced as a jam at that time, as well as used in teas both medicinally and for its taste.<ref name="Lavender" />

Lavender was not used in traditional southern French cooking at the turn of the 20th century. It does not appear at all in the best-known compendium of Provençal cooking, J.-B. Reboul's ''Cuisinière Provençale''.<ref>J.-B. Reboul; ''Cuisinière Provençale'' (1910)</ref> French lambs have been allowed to graze on lavender as it is alleged to make their meat more tender and fragrant.<ref name="Lavender" /> In the 1970s, a blend of herbs called ''[[herbes de Provence]]'' was invented by spice wholesalers. Culinary lavender is added to the mixture in the North American version.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Laget |first1=F. |year=2005 |title=From its Birthplace in Egypt to Marseilles, an Ancient Trade: Drugs and Spices |journal=Diogenes |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=131–139 |doi=10.1177/0392192105055941 |s2cid=144212782}}</ref>

In the 21st century, lavender is used in many world regions to flavor tea, vinegar, [[Fruit preserves#Jelly|jellies]], baked goods, and beverages.<ref>{{Citation |last=Charles |first=Denys J. |title=Lavender |date=2012 |work=Antioxidant Properties of Spices, Herbs and Other Sources |page=365 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tz4Fa7r9wgIC&pg=PA365 |access-date=2021-09-05 |place=New York, NY |publisher=Springer New York |isbn=9781461443100}}</ref>

==== Buds ====
For most cooking applications, the dried buds (also called flowers) are used.

The potency of the lavender buds increases with drying which necessitates more sparing use to avoid a heavy, soapy aftertaste. Chefs note to reduce by two-thirds the dry amount in recipes that call for fresh lavender buds.<ref name="Lavender"/><ref>"[http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/cooking-with-lavender Cooking With Lavender]", ''Bon Appetit'', 27 March 2015</ref>{{Better source needed|date=May 2021}}

Lavender buds can amplify both sweet and savory flavors in dishes and are sometimes paired with sheep's milk and goat's milk cheeses. Lavender flowers are occasionally blended with [[black tea|black]], [[green tea|green]], or [[herbal tea]]s. Lavender flavors baked goods and desserts, pairing especially well with chocolate. In the United States, both lavender syrup and dried lavender buds are used to make lavender [[scone]]s and [[marshmallow]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stradley|first1=Linda|title=Lavender Scones, Whats Cooking America|url=https://whatscookingamerica.net/EllenEaston/LavenderScones.htm|website=What's Cooking America|access-date=16 February 2017|date=22 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Maclain|first1=Ben|title=Lavender Marshmallows – Havoc In The Kitchen|url=http://www.havocinthekitchen.com/lavender-marshmallows/|website=Havoc in the Kitchen|access-date=16 February 2017|date=2 May 2015|archive-date=30 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030114207/http://www.havocinthekitchen.com/lavender-marshmallows/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Lavender buds are put into sugar for two weeks to allow the essential oils and fragrance to transfer; then the sugar itself is used in baking. Lavender can be used in breads where recipes call for [[rosemary]].{{cn|date=January 2025}} Lavender can be used decoratively in dishes or spirits, or as a decorative and aromatic in a glass of champagne. Lavender is used in savory dishes, giving stews and reduced sauces aromatic flair. It is also used to scent flans, custards, and sorbets.<ref name="Lavender"/>

==== In honey ====
[[File:Bagt figen med lavendelhonning (4983868866).jpg|thumb|Baked figs with lavender honey]]
The flowers yield abundant [[nectar]], from which bees make a high-quality [[honey]]. [[Monofloral honey]] is produced primarily around the [[Mediterranean Sea]], and is marketed worldwide as a premium product. Flowers can be candied and are sometimes used as [[cake decoration]]s. It is also used to make "lavender sugar".<ref name="haze"/>