Edible flowers are taking America's baking world by storm -- all kinds -- including lavender; pansies; sunflower petals; and dahlia to name a few. Seasoned, innovative dough punchers have found that comestible flowers, added to baked goods, impart a heavenly fragrance and distinctive flavor to the quality of their "sweet" concoctions, making them unique and pretty, to boot!

In Mexico, however, edible flowers are nothing new since they have been a part of their cuisine since pre-Hispanic times. These flowers, like bougainvillea, hibiscus, and Rosita de cacao, were fried, sauteed, stuffed, and used in sauces, quesadillas, and tacos. The Spaniards, when they arrived, used flowers instead of meat for Easter celebrations due to the Catholic Church's religious restrictions. Then Mexicans determined that flowers could enhance the aroma, taste, and "look" of desserts and drinks.

Josué Barona is the man who now fuels the country's edible flower scene from his booth in Mercado San Juan in Mexico City, where he has sold edible varieties of flowers for the past 10 years. He said he became interested when he noticed chefs shopping for flowers to add to their cuisines and he sourced them from suppliers who would normally toss them. He now stocks flowers from all over Mexico (interesting since about 80% of the world's 186 known edible-flower species originate here) and sells them to high-end restaurants. Not to be outdone, he invented his now famous "rose chocolate mousse," that he serves in a red rose, accentuated by various, beautiful blooms.

Although I couldn't find Barona's chocolate mousse recipe, I do have one that's very enticing, a white chocolate mousse made with rose syrup (from rose petals) and pistachio paste. Elegant, aromatic and scrumptious. Disfruta!