Fiori di Zucca (Zucchini Blossoms)

Fiori di Zucca or Zucchini Blossoms in English are an Italian specialty that most people are not aware of, so much so, that over 90% of all Zucchini Blossoms worldwide are thrown away!! This is absolutely crazy not only because they are delicious but also because they are super healthy and very easy to cook.

Zucchini blossoms provide a plentiful supply of vitamins including A, C, E, and K along with minerals like zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper, and calcium and they are ideal for weight loss and hydration. They are small but very powerful!

What exactly are Zucchini Blossoms?

Zucchini Blossoms are the edible flowers of the zucchini plant. Only female zucchini flowers produce the fruit (zucchini) so most flowers you will find on the market are male (but they taste the same). Zucchini flowers can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of ways, if eating them raw it is important to clean them (rinse with water and remove the pollen part inside). Zucchini flowers are very delicate and you will need to be careful not to break them if you are stuffing them (see recipe below) before frying or cooking them. Apart from being delicate they are also easily perishable, this means that they should be consumed within a day or frozen to be used later. They have a very delicate taste which makes them perfect in almost any dish as they don’t overwhelm you.

Where can I buy Zucchini Blossoms?

In Zurich I usually find Zucchini Blossoms in markets (Zollikon Market, Burkliplatz Market) or at Aligro. In the US and most countries you will find them in Farmer’s Markets. I have unfortunately not found many supermarkets that sell them.

Zucchini Blossom Preparation

The preparation for the Zucchini Blossoms stays the same regardless of the dish you are going to make with them - and it is super easy. Start by rinsing them with some water (do not leave them in the water for too long. What I usually do it I keep them in my hand one by one while I gently rinse them). Remove the pollen inside by going in with your fingers and rinse a little more. Place your Zucchini Blossoms on a kitchen towel to dry and once they are a bit dryer they are ready for preparation (picture below of rinsed and dried Zucchini Blossoms).

Recipes

There are essentially two main ways of cooking Zucchini Blossoms: fried or oven baked. Depending on what you are doing, how much time you have etc. one way will be better than the other and they are delicious both ways. Some of the most famous recipes with Zucchini Blossoms are: stuffed with ricotta (oven), stuffed with mozzarella and speck (oven), Risotto with shrimp and zucchini and stuffed zucchini blossoms on the top, pizza with zucchini blossoms, pasta with zucchini and zucchini blossoms etc.. you see where I’m going, you can really add them everywhere.

How to fry them

In order to fry the Zucchini Blossoms you will start by preparing the batter: the traditional batter requires only one egg, 100 grams of milk and 100 grams of flour. Sift the latter into a bowl, add the beaten egg and pour a little milk. Stir continuously until the flour is completely diluted. When the batter is smooth, soft and without lumps you can gently clean 200 grams of Zucchini Blossoms, leaving the stem intact. Then cut the flowers vertically, carefully removing the pistil. Wash them in cold water, drain them and then immerse them in batter and boil in a pan with abundant oil making sure to turn them often. When they are golden brown, you just have to drain them and lay them on kitchen paper to drain the oil, before serving.

How to bake them

Baking the Zucchini Blossoms is a bit easier as you first have to prepare them (method above), then decide the stuffing (you can really stuff them with anything, in Italy ricotta is the favourite) and then place them in a baking tray and cover them with some bread crumbs and grated pecorino as well as olive oil. If you wish you can also cover them in tomato sauce.

Q&A

1) How do I clean Zucchini Blossoms?

Cleaning them is very easy. The stem can be left on the flowers, simply remove the internal blossom (pistil) and rinse them with water)

2) How do I store Zucchini Blossoms?

Zucchini Blossoms are not easily stored. Once you buy them it is best if you consume them within a day or two. If you really need to store them you can freeze them.

3) Where can I buy Zucchini Blossoms?

In Zürich you can buy them at the Zollikon or Bürkliplatz Markets or at Aligros. In the US and other countries they are most likely found at the Farmer’s Market

4) Can I eat them raw?

Yes! Just make sure you clean them beforehand

5) Are they vegan?

Zucchini Blossoms are 100% vegan and can be made in a variety of ways (e.g. stuffed with vegan cheese, vegan meatballs with Zucchini Blossoms or simply oven cooked with some tomato sauce).