Some flower petals are edible and have considerable nutritional value. In the blooming month of April, peach blossoms, cherry blossoms, and pagoda tree flowers can all be used as ingredients!
Peach Blossoms
The blooming season for peach blossoms is from March to April each year. When they are in full bloom, besides being admired for their beauty, peach blossoms are also a fine ingredient. According to the "Guo Jing Ben Cao," picking fresh peach blossoms and steeping them in wine to drink daily can make one's complexion ruddy and beautiful like a peach blossom. The beautifying effect of peach blossoms is mainly due to nutrients such as kaempferol, coumarin, trifolin, and vitamins A, B, and C. These substances can dilate blood vessels, clear the meridians, moisturize the skin, improve blood circulation, and promote the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the skin. They also accelerate the excretion of lipofuscin, which promotes aging, and prevent the chronic deposition of melanin in the skin, thus effectively preventing chloasma, freckles, and age spots. Pagoda tree blossoms are also rich in plant protein and free amino acids, which are easily absorbed by the skin and are effective in preventing and treating dryness, roughness, and wrinkles. They can also enhance the skin's resistance to disease, helping to prevent and treat skin conditions, seborrheic dermatitis, pyogenic dermatitis, and scurvy, making them highly beneficial for the skin.
Pagoda Tree Flowers
The blooming season for pagoda tree flowers is from April to May each year. When they are in full bloom, they can be picked for cooking. Pagoda tree flowers have a light, sweet fragrance and are rich in vitamins and various minerals. They also have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling the blood and moistening the lungs, lowering blood pressure, and preventing stroke.
Cherry Blossoms
The blooming season for cherry blossoms is in April each year, when they are in full bloom. For those who miss the chance to see them in person, they can savor the memory slowly with cherry blossom cakes and cherry blossom tea, each bite a gentle touch of a young girl's heart. The leaves of the cherry blossom tree can be made into dried salted cherry leaves, which can be used to brew tea or added to bath products. They can also be incorporated into foods to create highly nutritious edibles that are good for the digestive system. The leaves and petals of the cherry blossom tree are used in traditional Chinese medicine. According to identification, the bark of the cherry blossom tree contains gentisic acid 5-glucoside and 5-rhamnoglucoside (Sakurarin), prunin, and the wood contains d-catechin and other medicinal substances. These functions include stopping coughs, relieving alcohol intoxication, and treating fevers. Furthermore, cherry blossom petals contain large amounts of vitamins A and B, cherry leaf enzymes, and other nutrient-rich substances, so cherry blossoms are also used for skin beautification and in health supplements. Cherry blossoms can shrink pores and control oil, making them suitable for facial skin care. Cherry blossom extract can be refined into cherry blossom oil, which contains cherry blossom enzymes. These enzymes can remove acne from the face, so cherry blossoms are also used for acne treatment.