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Fairy food

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Fairy food in the making. Photo by Matilda Angus
Some years ago, I bought myself a magical book: Margaret Robert's book, Edible and Medicinal Flowers. It gives me endless pleasure to page through it and read that even day lilies, tulips and yucca flowers are edible! Imagine that! Imagine serving your family a Day Lily stir fry or Hollyhock scones.

Reading the recipes makes me feel like a fairy in a Spring garden, a little lightheaded and delirious like a pollen-laden bee.

Now nothing announces Spring quite like the fragrant purple cascade of a Wisteria climber. And, like Spring and sunbirds, it's swift evanescence makes it even more important to somehow capture something of the sweet glory before it fades.

To my delight I found a couple of recipes using Wisteria flowers in my fairy book! One being a recipe for Wisteria fritters* which has become part of my Spring celebrations. This year I could share it with retreat goers at two retreats before it started fading. They were as overwhelmed by the magic of it as I am.

Fairy food served by candlelight.
Photo by Hannelie van As
TO MAKE:
Use 2 Wisteria flowering sprays per person. (Be quite sure that it had not been sprayed with any pesticides).

Make a thin batter by whisking 1 egg  and 75 ml sugar, adding a drop or two of vanilla essence if you like. Then add 200 ml cake flour and about 250 ml water alternately to the mix, whisking well and adding more water if necessary. I find the batter's sticking power is greatly enhanced if it is made the day before it is needed and kept refrigerated.

Heat 250 ml oil in a large pan and dip the flowering sprays carefully, one by one, by holding onto the stalks. Slowly and carefully lower into the hot oil and fry until golden (about two minutes) before lifting it out with tongs and draining on kitchen paper. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

Snip off the tough green stem ends and serve soon after frying with whipped cream or coconut cream.

Remember to clap your hands before tucking in...



* This recipe is adapted from a recipe in Edible and Medicinal Flowers by Margaret Roberts.

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