Dried Lavender
What it is
The dried flower buds of Lavandula, used as a culinary herb-spice. The culinary type is English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) — not the higher-yielding hybrid lavandin (L. × intermedia), which is more camphorous and soapy and is grown mostly for perfume and cleaning products.
How it's made
Flower spikes are cut at the right stage and air-dried; the small grey-purple buds are stripped from the stems. Culinary grade should be free of pesticide and not the harsh lavandin.
Flavor profile
Floral, sweet, herbal, and slightly resinous, with a faint mint-rosemary cool edge from linalool and linalyl acetate (the same compounds found in bergamot and coriander seed). The line between "lovely" and "tastes like grandma's soap" is thin: a few buds perfume a dish, a teaspoon ruins it. The wrong species (lavandin) crosses that line on its own.
Culinary uses
A traditional (if debated) member of herbes de Provence; Provençal lamb, honey, and crème; shortbread, scones, and infused sugars and syrups; ice cream and custards; lavender-honey and floral cocktails; and lavender-pepper rubs. Pairs with honey, lemon, rosemary, thyme, blueberry, and chocolate.
Regional variations
Provençal (French) lavender is the iconic culinary source; English and North American culinary lavenders are also marketed expressly as L. angustifolia for food use.
Cultural & historical context
Lavender's name comes from Latin lavare, "to wash" — Romans scented baths and laundry with it — and for most of history it was a medicinal, cosmetic, and aromatic plant far more than a food. Its modern culinary role is comparatively recent and most secure in Provençal cooking and Anglo baking. The species caveat matters: much of the "lavender" sold for crafts and cleaning is lavandin and is genuinely unpleasant in food, which is why culinary-grade L. angustifolia labeling is worth flagging.
Reference notes
Tags: `Whole` (buds), `Ground/Powdered`, `floral spice`, `high-potency`. Flag `species: L. angustifolia (culinary)` vs `lavandin (avoid)`, and a `dilution caution`. Related ingredients: Rosemary, Thyme, Honey, Bergamot (shared linalool). Related cuisines: Provençal/French, modern Anglo baking. Suggested links: → Herbes de Provence, → Rosewater, → Rosemary.