flower and its protective layers. They’re
somewhat astringent from the presence of
tannins, and are cooked as a vegetable.
Daylily Buds Daylily buds, mostly from
species of Hemerocallis, are eaten both fresh
and dried in Asia — the dried form is
sometimes called “golden needles” — and
provide a valuable supplement of carotenoid
and phenolic antioxidants.
Roselle, Hibiscus, and Jamaica These are all
names for the bright red, tart, aromatic fleshy
flower covering (the calyx, more familiar as
the leaf-like stubs at the base of a strawberry)
of a kind of hibiscus. Hibiscus sabdariffa is a
native of Africa and a relative of okra. It’s
much used in Mexico and the Caribbean,
sometimes fresh, sometimes dried and infused
to make drinks, sometimes rehydrated and
cooked with other ingredients. In the United
States it’s most familiar as an ingredient in
Hawaiian punch and many red herbal teas (the