• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.47-57
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• 2005

To investigate the characteristics of edible flowers as a food material, we have examined the kinds, colors, sizes, fresh weights, pigments and shipping periods of edible flowers marketed on the cropping farms, selling agencies and Internet shopping malls from February through September, 2005. Thirty six kinds of edible flowers were marketed in Korea, and all but the chrysanthemum were introduced species. The characteristics of edible flowers were shown differently by the varieties following the same kinds of flowers. Those colors were yellow (twenty five kinds), red (twenty three), pink (twenty), white (eighteen), and orange (sixteen). Flower diameters were measured and showed that seven kinds of edible flowers were 1.0 to 2.0cm, fourteen 2.0 to 3.0cm, sixteen 3.0 to 4.0cm, eight 4.0 to 5.0cm, and nine over 5.0cm. Flower fresh weights were measured as follows: twenty one kinds of edible flowers were under 0.5g ($58.3\%$), eight were $0.6\∼1.0g(22.2\%$), and six were $1.1{\∼}1.5g(16.7\%$). The taste of edible flowers was often bitter (twenty one kinds), sweet and sour (seven), somewhat fragrant (six), fishy (three), and others (nine). The pigments of edible flowers were anthoxanthin (twenty seven kinds), flavonoid (twenty three), carotenoid (seventeen), and betanidin (four).