Edible Flowers - Telosma Cordata

One of my readers shared about her recent purchase of a creeper plant that bears pale yellow fragrant flowers  - the telosma cordata. 

This plant goes by many names such as Chinese Violet, tonkin jasmine, bunga tongkeng, cowslip creeper, and is native to China.

What attracted me to read up on this flower is that my reader told me that not only are the flowers extremely fragrant, emitting a rich heavy fragrance day and night when in bloom, but that they are also edible! Lending itself to soups or fried in an omelet, the flowers are reputed to be healthful for the eyes.

One blog I read, shared a legend about the flowers, which I reproduce from Garden Lab:
"A troop of fearless warriors had seized an enemy’s castle.  At dusk, a hypnotic fragrance came wafting through the air, dissipating the aggressive feelings of the warriors as they inhaled the aroma. By the next morning, the warriors were so subdued that they were forced to abandon the castle and retreat. This fragrance came from none other than the Telosma Cordata!"

On another blog called Tanam Sendiri , the blogger wrote:
"Auntie yang jual (bunga ini) kata kaum Cina suka buat sup, kaum India pula suka letak dalam kari, kaum Melayu pula letak dalam gulai. Kira bunga muhibbah ni."

I thought that was such a marvellous description of this flower for our Malaysia:
"The lady at the market who sells this flower said that the Chinese like to use it in soups, the Indians like to use it in curries and the Malays like to use it in gulai. This is a unity flower - muhibbah!."

A flower for all Malaysians! 

Nature is endless in providing humankind with beauty and nutrition.