The use of flowers and herbs in cooking dates back to the beginnings of man. Ancient cultures used flowers and herbs for food and medicine. Teas, herbal wines and meads were made in the middle ages.
Indigenous Peoples of North and South America gave the world squash, corn, beans, peppers, potatoes, chocolate, Vanilla and many herbs, flowers, and medicines. With the introduction of food from the Americas, different cultures adopted what were to become their signature foods.
Italians gave us tomato sauces. Italian and Hispanic cultures gave us stuffed squash blossoms Asian Indians use rose petals and marigolds in many recipes.

The Vanilla Orchid (family - Orchidaceae) also known as Vanilla Planifolia or Vanilla Fragrans, is a variety of vine native to Mexico.
Vanilla is the only orchid that can produce edible fruits. The process of converting vanilla into a spice is very long and complicated; therefore, vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Pollination is only possible through manual manipulation. The pods must be blanched before drying.
Hernan Cortes encountered vanilla when he conquered the Aztecs. Cortez brought the vanilla plant back to Europe.
The Aztecs used vanilla to flavor a chocolate drink.
It was called vanilla tlilxóchitl ("black flower"), derived from the Nahuatl words tlilli ("black") and xóchitl ("flower"). This name, given in spite of the vanilla flower's white or pale yellow color indicates that their focus was on the color of the coveted ripe pod, rather than the flower petals.
In ancient Mexico, the Totonac people were regarded as the producers of the best vanilla. The Totonac are from the region now known as the state of Veracruz (Papantla, Mexico, holds itself out as the origin of vanilla). They continued to be the world's chief producers of the flavoring through the mid 19th century. At that time, French vanilla growers in Mexico traded their knowledge of artificial pollination for the Totonac knowledge of preparing the pods.
Vanilla was cultivated domestically for the first time in the middle of the 19th century by Edmond Albius. Albius was a slave who lived on the French island Reunion, near Madagascar. Albius was the first to manually pollinate the vanilla flower. The flower develops into a "bean" which is used as a spice. The "Bourbon", from Reunion Island, is well known as the most intensive and balanced variety of vanilla in the world. Madagascar was the first producer of vanilla.
Vanilla is the most labor-intensive agricultural product in the world. It takes between 18 months and three years from planting a cutting of the orchid vine till the plant produces orchids. The orchids bloom and die within a few hours unless they are pollinated by hand. The beans (which are actually seed-pods) must stay on the vine for nine months before being harvested. The beans then go through a curing, drying, and resting process for several months. Each vanilla bean is handled hundreds of times before it's ready to use!

Oriental dishes use daylily buds and the Romans used mallow, rose and violets.

Chartreuse, a classic green liqueur developed in France in the seventeeth century, uses carnation petals as one of its secret ingredients.

The Old Testament mentions the use of Dandelions and herbs for healing.
Do you know that Artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower are actually flowers?
The Persians have used Saffron for centuries. Saffron consists of the dried stigmas and part of the styles of the autumn-blooming cultivated crocus. Saffron's expense comes not from the lack of availability, because it is easily cultivated. The expense comes from the extraordinary labor involved in harvesting and preparing it for storage. Also adding to the expense is the fact that 80,000 flowers are needed to obtain one pound of Saffron. Spain grows more Saffron than any other nation in the World, with India coming in second. The area of south-central Spain called La Mancha produces the World's best Saffron.

Capers are unopened flower buds of the caper bush. It grows wild on mountain slopes, principally those that border the Mediterranean Sea. Capers are used mostly in hot and cold sauces. Capers go well with tomatoes and eggplant. Capers are pickled in vinegar or packed in salt when sold commercially.

I have listed 2 excellent sites below with allot of related links to cooking with flowers

Edible Flowers Chart

Edible Flowers with photos

EDIBLE FLOWERS TIPS AND USES

Always use an organic source for your flowers. Better yet grow them yourself.

Do not use flowers that have had fertilizers sprayed on them unless specified for food consumption.



Do not harvest any flowers from roadsides. They have been exposed to sprays, carbon monoxide and trash.

If you cannot identify the flowers as edible, do not eat them ever. It is better to be cautious.



Flowers from florists have been sprayed with insecticides do not consume.

Do not use flowers that show signs of insect damage or disease.



Edible flowers as a garnish make any dish look special on your table, but be sure the flavor of the flower compliments the dish.

Here are a few ideas to add elegance to your recipes and perk up your taste buds:



Place a Gladiola, tulip or hibiscus flower (remove the stamen and pistil) in a clear glass bowl and fill with your favorite dip. You can stuff the flowers and arrange on a tray for a beautiful center piece.



Sprinkle edible flowers into your green salads for a splash of color and taste. Nasturtiums are really pretty and have a peppery flavor. Flowers also add color and texture to fruit salads.



Freeze whole small flowers into ice rings or cubes for a pretty addition to punches and drinks Use in flavored oils, vinaigrettes, jellies, and marinades.

One of the most popular uses of flowers is to candy or crystallize them. They can be used to decorate cakes and fine candies.



If you suffer from asthma or suffer allergic reactions to composite-type flowers (calendula, chicory, chrysanthemum, daisy, English daisy, and marigold) watch for signs of a possible allergic reaction.



Never use non-edible flowers as a garnish. You must assume that if guests find a flower on a plate of food, they will think it edible.



Use flowers sparingly in your recipes, particularly if you are not accustomed to eating them. Too much of a good thing can lead to digestive problems.



If you are prone to allergies, introduce flowers in small amounts so you can judge their effect. Some have a much more pronounced flavor than others, so you'll need to judge accordingly.

Latin Flower Names used in Recipes

Apple Blossoms Malus, delicate floral flavor, use in moderation.
Basil Ocimum basilicum, spicy, flavor corresponds with the name,
Lemon, cinnamon.
Calendula Calendula officinalis, poor mans saffron, spicey, tageny peppery.
Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus, clove like, spicey, peppery.
Chive Blossoms Allium schoenoprasum, oniony
Dandelions Taraxacum officinale, tastes earthy,
Day Lilies Hemerocallis 'Stafford, sweet, crunchy like lettuce, faint flavor of
beans or chestnuts
Gladiolas Gladiolus, tastes similar to lettuce.
Jonny Jump ups Viola sweet to bland, use in moderation large amounts could
toxic
Lavender Lavandula angustifolia slightly perfumey floral flavor,
Lemon Verbena Aloysia triphylla. Strong lemon flavor and scent
(Signet)Marigolds Tagetes tenuifolia, the flower has spicy tarragon flavor. Thee
Foliage has a pleasant lemon flavor.
Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus Nasturtium, spicy, peppery, sweet, pungent
Pansy Viola X. Wittrockiana. wintergreen
Rose Germanium Pelargonium graveolens Tastes like roses
Rose RosaRugosa, sweet, aromatic,
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis sweet, savory and pine like.
Tulips Tulipa, cucumber like flavor

NOTE: Always use unsprayed flowers. Never collect from roadsides where car exhaust and spraying occur.
Always remove stamens and pistils, pollen will affect the flavor and in individuals with allergies it may cause a reaction.