Strolling through the streets of Kunming, you are not only enchanted by the intoxicating fragrance of flowers but also drawn to the tempting feast they offer. Every blooming flower is a delicate gift from nature, bursting with beauty and flavor. Today, let's embark on a journey to discover Kunming's springtime floral delicacies and savor the unique flavors of these edible flowers!

走在昆明街頭，不只有花香醉人，更有“花宴”誘人！每一朵盛開的花都是大自然最鮮美的饋贈。今天我們一起來看看，昆明春日里，都有哪些美味的花值得一品！

From Qi'echihezhinan  圖源：企鵝吃喝指南

玫瑰花 Rose

Flower cake can be considered the "representative" of eating flowers in Kunming. With rose petals as the filling, and the crust is brushed with egg wash, giving it a crispy texture. After biting, you can see the rose petals, and the moist, soft filling is sweet, sticky and tender. Flower cake, along with rose jam and rose tea, are probably the most popular and approachable ways to enjoy edible flowers, as eating roses feels romantic just thinking about it.

鮮花餅可以說是昆明吃花的“課代表”，以玫瑰花瓣作為餡料，刷了蛋液的餅皮，酥酥的。咬開后，可以明顯看到玫瑰花瓣，濕軟的花餡甜糯綿軟。鮮花餅跟玫瑰花醬、玫瑰花茶，應該是大部分人最容易接受的吃花方式，因為吃玫瑰花，想想都很浪漫。

金雀花 Scotch broom

In March and April, Kunming's vegetable markets are filled with small yellow flowers. This bright and lively yellow makes the scotch broom the most eye-catching in the market. The common way of eating scotch broom is to cook it with eggs but avoid fishy meats or pork. When seasoning, less salt is preferred, as the focus is on savoring the natural sweetness of the flowers. These small yellow flowers are not only visually appealing but also delicious. One bite at a time, they are fragrant without being greasy. As you chew, the sweet nectar of the scotch broom unfolds, leaving a fresh, sweet aftertaste that never gets tiresome.

三、四月份昆明的菜市場，擺滿了黃色小花，這抹明亮活潑的黃，讓金雀花在菜市場中最顯眼。金雀花常見的吃法是與雞蛋同烹，但忌魚腥豬肉。調(diào)味上也是多鹽不如少鹽，重在品嘗花的鮮甜。黃黃的小花耐看的同時還耐吃，一口一個，清香不油膩，在咀嚼時會嘗到金雀花清甜的花汁，鮮甜回味，百吃不厭。

Scrambled eggs with scotch brooms. From RedNote  金雀花炒蛋。圖源：小紅書@栗子呀呀

海菜花 Ottelia acuminata

Ottelia acuminata, also known as the waterborne poplar flower (Note: "水性楊花" here is a rather vivid and colloquial translation in a figurative sense for the plant's growth characteristics in water). It has extremely high requirements for water quality and is often regarded as an "ecological indicator" of excellent water quality. Its delicate white flowers, tinged with yellow or orange at the base. It floats gracefully on the water, resembling twinkling stars that sway with the ripples, evoking the dreamlike beauty of a Monet painting. In addition to viewing, ottelia acuminata is a special ingredient in Kunming's vegetable markets. It tastes crisp and similar to kelp, and is rich in various nutrients. It is a low-calorie and fat-free natural green food. It can be cooked in soup, cold salad and stir-fried, and its smooth, tender, and refreshing taste makes it a favorite among locals.

海菜花又叫水性楊花，對水質(zhì)要求極高，常被視為水質(zhì)優(yōu)良的“生態(tài)指示器”。它花朵潔白，基部帶有一抹黃色或橙色，漂浮在水面上，宛如點點繁星，隨波輕舞，讓人仿佛置身于莫奈畫中的夢幻花園。除了觀賞，海菜花更是昆明菜市場里的特色食材。它口感清脆，味道近似海帶，富含多種營養(yǎng)成分，是一種低熱量、無脂肪的天然綠色食品?？芍鬁霭?、清炒，口感滑嫩鮮爽，深受當?shù)厝讼矏邸?/p>

Ottelia acuminata. Photo provided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Dali Prefecture Committee  海菜花。大理州委宣傳部 供圖

Taro soup with Ottelia acuminata. Photo by Li Xi, Yunnan Yunnan Fabu  海菜芋頭湯。圖源 云南發(fā)布 李茜 攝

棠梨花 Tangli flower

As a seasonal delicacy in spring, tangli flower not only wins people's love with its fresh taste and unique flavor, but also becomes a delicacy on the table because of its rich nutritional value and health benefits associated with traditional Chinese medicine. When tangli flowers blossom, their fragrance are overwhelming, but they taste quite bitter, so they needs to be washed and soaked with clear water for a long time before eating. Leek and tangli flowers stir-fry, stir-fried tangli flowers, cold tangli flowers and tangli flowers in sauce are quite delicious. Simply seasoning with salt brings out the fresh flavor, making the dish both tasty and aromatic.

作為春季特色美食，棠梨花不僅以其清新口感和獨特風味贏得人們喜愛，更因其豐富的營養(yǎng)價值和中醫(yī)養(yǎng)生功效，成為餐桌上的佳肴。棠梨花開花時香氣襲人，但苦澀味有點重，需用清水沖洗浸泡多時才能吃。韭菜棠梨花、爆炒棠梨花、涼拌棠梨花和醬汁棠梨花都相當好吃。只用簡單的鹽調(diào)味，口感就非常好，味道鮮美，香氣撲鼻。

Tangli flowers with shredded beef. 棠梨花拌牛肉絲

棕包花 Zongbao flower

The bud of palm tree, known as zongbao flower, is rich in nutrients. It not only helps reduce inflammation and internal heat but also aids in lowering blood pressure. There are various ways to consume it. Fresh palm flower buds are sliced and paired with mustard and soy sauce, offering a crispy and sweet taste with a unique flavor. It can also be chopped and stir-fried with meat, shredded carrots and pickled vegetables, resulting in a dish with vibrant color and a rich, savory taste. It can also be used to make soup by adding pickled vegetables and white tofu. It has a sour and bitter taste and a sweet aftertaste, which helps relieve external heat and dispel cold. It can also be stewed with Hehua fish and bee pupae, creating a rich, flavorful broth.

棕包花，就是棕櫚樹的花苞。它營養(yǎng)豐富，既能消炎清火，又能降血壓。其食用方式多種多樣，新鮮棕包頭切片后，搭配芥末和醬油，口感脆甜，別具風味；也可切碎后炒肉，搭配胡蘿卜絲和臘腌菜，色澤鮮艷，味道醇香。也能煮湯，加入腌菜和白豆腐，酸苦回甜，有解表驅(qū)寒的效果；與稻花魚、蜂蛹一同燉煮，湯汁濃郁鮮美。

芭蕉花 Plantain flower

Plantain flower is a unique Dai dish on tables in Yunnan, and stir-fried meat with plantain flowers being a typical home-cooked dish. Plantain flowers have a naturally bitter taste that needs to be removed through processes such as kneading and blanching. Although their selling appearances may not be as good as the previous ones, they are a rare delicacy. In addition to stir-fried meat with plantain flowers, crispy plantain flowers, fried egg with plantain flowers and braised plantain flowers are also some of the Yunnan style dishes that must be tried.

芭蕉花是云南餐桌上特有的傣家風味，大部分家常菜的做法是芭蕉花炒肉。芭蕉花本身有苦澀味，需要經(jīng)過人工揉搓、水焯等工序去除澀味，賣相不及前面幾種，卻是難得的美味。除芭蕉花炒肉外，香酥芭蕉花、芭蕉花煎蛋、包燒芭蕉花也是云南風味菜品中不得不點的幾樣。

石榴花 Pomegranate flower

You may have eaten pomegranates, but you might not have tried pomegranate flowers. Pomegranate flowers are not only beautiful but also delicious. Removing the stamens and petals, leaving only the sepals, and stir-frying them with bacon are the most suitable. They have a crisp, tender texture and are especially appetizing with rice. Additionally, pomegranate sepals are believed to help clear heat, detoxify, and moisten the lungs.

你吃過石榴，但是你未必吃過石榴花。石榴花不僅好看還好吃，去掉花蕊花瓣只吃花萼，搭配臘肉一起爆炒最合適?？诟兴嗄刍?，特別下飯，它還具有清熱解毒潤肺的功效。

In addition to the edible flowers mentioned above, Kunming offers an array of floral delicacies, including kapok flowers, taro flowers, rapeseed flowers, jasmine flowers, pumpkin flowers. Skillfully prepared by locals, these flowers are transformed into dishes with distinctive flavors. Although their blossoms are fleeting, people in Kunming have found a way to weave nature's gifts into their daily cuisine, bringing a touch of elegance to everyday life amid its warmth and bustle.

除了以上提到的鮮花食材，在昆明，你還可以找到木棉花、芋頭花、油菜花、茉莉花、南瓜花等各式花朵，經(jīng)過當?shù)厝说那墒峙胫?，煥發(fā)出獨特的風味。盡管這些花朵的綻放稍縱即逝，但人們卻將自然的饋贈巧妙地融入日常飲食，使平凡的生活在煙火氣中透出一份雅致。

Rapeseed flowers. 油菜花

Pumpkin flowers. 南瓜花

Kapok flowers. 木棉花（也叫攀枝花）

Whether it's the sweetness of golden scrambled eggs with scotch broom, the crispness of deep-fried pumpkin flowers, or the silky smoothness of ottelia acuminata soup, every bite is a journey into nature's wonders, and every meal feels like an intimate dialogue with the wilderness. From tradition to innovation, these fresh edible flowers not only carry the local stories of Kunming but also leave a momentary beauty and endless aftertaste on the tongue.

無論是金雀花煎蛋的香甜、南瓜花油炸的酥脆，還是海菜花煮湯的滑嫩，每一口都仿佛是對自然奧秘的探尋，每一餐都如同與山野的親密對話。從傳統(tǒng)到創(chuàng)新，這些鮮花食材不僅承載著昆明的風土故事，更在舌尖上留下了瞬間的美好與無盡的回味。