Edible Flowers for Non-alcoholic Beverages

Fuente: Broccoli Byproducts Extraction
Edible flowers have been present in the human diet since antiquity, being used worldwide in the preparation of popular dishes and in gourmet cuisine. Its sensorial properties characteristics, combined with its functional properties, have been highly studied, which has attracted great interest from different industries. The food industry is particularly interested in exploring the potential application of edible flowers as natural ingredients with colouring, preservative, and functional characteristics. Within this sector, the non-alcoholic beverage market is vast and diversified, and has great potential for innovation, which is why this type of materials has been largely exploited. Additionally, and in view of the new demands of current consumers in the search for more natural products, it is important to create alternative drinks that are healthier, safer, and more functional. Edible flowers are assuming a significant and prominent role in the non-alcoholic beverage sector, and there is currently some offer on the market for consumers, namely floral waters, infusions, soft drinks, fermented drinks, among others. The range of edible flowers is very wide and with immense potential for exploitation, however, it is necessary to study in depth the characteristics of less known flower species in order to innovate in this food sector. In this sense, this chapter aims to describe the current aspects of edible flowers intended for the formulation of non-alcoholic beverages, in order to highlight the main discoveries and current challenges.