Jan 22 2025

Foodie Flora

Spain’s haute cuisine embraces edible flowers and microgreens

buckley.jpeg

by Marti Buckley - @martibuckley

A dish of rich, cold cream, simmered with sugar and flavored with exotic spices before being chilled and served sprinkled with rose petals. This dish is delicious, of course, but even though it sounds (and looks) like a white tablecloth dessert, it is actually called Kulfi, and dates back to the Mughal empire (1526-1857) in India.

From delicately flavored chive blossoms to vibrant sprigs of microgreens, edible flowers and sprouts are ubiquitous in the fine dining world, and the frontier for flower eating may just well be Spain and its over 200 Michelin-starred tables. The use of edible flowers and sprouts is a hallmark of Spain’s haute cuisine, which has experienced a boom over the last decade. This boom has created a growing market for micro greens and edible flowers, which has led some cultivators to shift traditional farmland to specialized edible flowers and sprouts, creating a new landscape of opportunity.

Fine Dining Driving Demand

What is behind the boom of sprouts, microgreens and edible flowers in Spain? To understand why they have become so popular, you must first understand the purpose they serve. Edible flowers and microgreens may seem like small afterthoughts to a dish that has taken hours to prepare, but they are actually quite functional.

“For us, flowers and microgreens play an important role,” says Iñaki Murua of Restaurant Ikaro in Logroño. “Sprouts and flowers are elements always present in my dishes, but with reason. It’s important to know what you’re putting on the plate.” These flowers and greens add color, but they also add taste, texture, and even nutrition.

You’re looking for the color and the flavor complement,” Murua says. It’s this combination that have made them a boon to the Spanish dining boom. Their striking visual appeal and rarity has made them staples in the best kitchens in the world, from elBulli to Mugaritz. Their striking visual appeal and rarity has made them staples in the best kitchens in the world, from Noma (Copenhagen) to Eleven Madison Park (NYC).Spain’s stronghold for the last 20 years on the World’s 50 Best list means this country is fertile ground for the growth of the microgreen and edible flower market, with chefs from Elena Arzak to Andoni Luis Aduriz using edible flowers and micro greens.

From Fruits and Vegetables to Edible Flowers

Jorge López, one of the founders of Germinarte in Valencia, started his microgreen business over 15 years ago after having trouble finding Spanish sprouts and edible flowers as a chef. He and his brother used the family farm, once filled with orange trees, as their laboratory, testing various species to see what took best to the local terroir. After three years, the giant Spanish wholesale chain Makro brought them on, and the rest is history—they now grow around 100 species and export to other countries.

“When we started, this was a product very much aimed at Michelin-starred restaurants,” says López. “Now, restaurants and gastrobars are using them. There is increasing demand, and it is growing more and more, thanks to the culinary culture.” Where once there was not a single national producer, there is now a business for practically every province in Spain to be able to order locally, including Sabor & Salud in Málaga, Aroa in Basque Country, MassaGreens in Valencia, and ViveGreens in Galicia.

The taste for edible flowers and microgreens doesn’t stop in Spain, although it may be best met by Spanish growers. “There is demand in other countries. It’s a trend that’s practically worldwide,” says López. “What Spain has to differentiate in the market is the climate to cultivate these products nearly year-round.”

Recipe.Feminine complexity,between the sea and flowers

Spain’s edge in the edible flowers and microgreens sector isn’t just its climate and local terroir, but also its technological and innovative advancements in cultivation and distribution. Companies like Germinarte and ViveGreens have embraced research and development to address challenges such as short shelf life. For example, Germinarte’s live sprout packaging and ViveGreens’ ViveWall terrarium system extend product freshness and allow chefs to have a ready supply of live greens in their kitchens. Additionally, Spanish growers are employing sustainable methods, such as recycling peat and reducing water usage by up to 95% through innovative irrigation systems.

This technological focus not only strengthens Spain’s position in exports but also supports its dominance in high-end gastronomy. As Jorge López of Germinarte notes, “Our advancements allow us to compete globally, ensuring freshness and quality for our customers while prioritizing sustainability.”

Stop and Smell (and Taste) the Flowers

The Journal of Functional Foods says that there are “97 families, 100 genera, and 180 species worldwide from which edible flowers are obtained.”  The number of microgreens available is similarly expansive. So, what are you likely to find on your plate? Read on for a list of some of the most common edible flowers and microgreens in Spain and globally:

  • Pea sprouts / These are beautiful little things, with trailing bits of green and a bitingly fresh, pea-like taste.
  • Cilantro / These sprouts are not nearly as controversial as their fully grown version. They have a fresh hint of lime, and sometimes come with the seed still attached.
  • Nasturtium / One of the most popular edible flowers, they have a light peppery taste that makes them great in salads.
  • Garlic flower / Sometimes pinkish, sometimes purple, this flower has a faint hint of garlic, and really complements savory stews and meaty dishes.
  • Violet / Violet is one of the few edible flowers that has a long history in Spain, thanks to its use in candy making.
  • Borage flower / Borage can be a challenging vegetable, but its pretty blue flower goes anywhere, thanks to its oh-so-delicate cucumber taste.
Recipe.Stuffed, fried zucchini flowers

The focus on edible flowers and microgreens is clearly aesthetic, but they are more than just a pretty face. Edible flowers have been proven, according to the journal Plants (Basel), to be antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, and cardio and neuro protective. Did we mention antimalarial? Perhaps the future of eating flora is looking bright for more reasons than expected.

Not Everything is Coming Up Roses

Despite the fact these aren’t heavily regulated foodstuffs, the sector is not without its challenges. “Previously, there were problems,” says Murua. “Sprouts and flowers didn’t last very long, and you had to order well in advance.” The thorn in the grower’s side is exactly what makes microgreens and edible flowers so prized—their short shelf life and delicate nature. Once separated from its plant, an edible flower or microgreen kept in good conditions will last just over a week.

Spain’s businesses are coming up with answers to these difficulties, some of them quite innovative. Germinarte offers ‘live sprout’ packaging, a way to extend the lifespan and increase the freshness of the greens. With this type of packaging, the life span can be as long as a month.

ViveGreens, from Galicia, even offers a product called ViveWall—a stylish black wall with wooden details that houses three separate terrariums. Chefs can fill them with the flowers and sprouts they use most often and, voila! distribution issues solved.

These solutions make it easier to export. Germinarte is currently undergoing an internationalization process, exporting products to European markets where the demand for fresh, high-quality edible flowers and microgreens has been growing steadily. Despite logistical challenges, such as ensuring freshness over long distances, Spanish companies are actively optimizing their distribution chains to reach more countries.

The Flowery Future

In today’s dining world, edible flowers and microgreens aren't just a passing trend—they're a thriving, functional addition that brings an added layer of sustainability, health benefits, and artistry to cuisine.  “We expect demand to keep growing, especially with edible flowers,” López says. “In some European countries, you can buy them in the supermarket. I believe here they will get more and more popular.” Grocery stores from Carrefour in France to Marks and Spencers in UK and Whole Foods in the US all carry edible flowers and microgreens, which signals a growing movement in home kitchens, driven in part by the importance of aesthetics on social media and ‘foodstagram’. Not only is the trend-driven demand filtering down to everyday shoppers and bistros, edible flowers and sprouts are also fully compatible with the trend for sustainable eating.

“These are fast-growing plants,” says Lopez. “We cultivate them in peat, which we then recycle. We’re working to reduce water usage by 95% through irrigation and water reuse. That’s the philosophy we’re following.” The delicate world of edible plants is blossoming, with Spain leading the way in making these ephemeral (and sustainable!) beauties a celebrated part of modern gastronomy. Whether you’re dining at an avant-garde restaurant or experimenting in your own kitchen, it’s time to stop and taste the flowers.