“There’s a pansy in my salad!” exclaimed a seriously macho guy to his wife while dining at a restaurant in Coronado.

“It’s beautiful,” replied the missus before popping the whole flower into her mouth as hubby pushed aside the dish in disgust. How well the bittersweet blossom paired with the salad’s tangy balsamic dressing was anybody’s guess, because the pansy-eating woman showed no reaction after it passed her windpipe.

Consumer reaction to edible flowers is like a mixed bouquet of blooming buds and wilted roses. Those with developed palates love the bewitching floral flavors and peculiar textures they offer. Others insist that all flowers be kept in tangential view of a meal, and abhor such pretty pedals even as garnishes.

A number of San Diego kitchens incorporate botanicals into their dishes just as the North American Indians did centuries ago, and expert cake makers still do throughout Europe and the U.S.

Places such as The Prado, Café Pacifica, the Bahia Hotel and Loew’s in Coronado may surprise diners with an occasional orchid or nasturtium roosting in their meals. In most cases, the pistils and stamens from the flowers are removed, which can otherwise interfere with an array of delicate flavors given by the pedals.

Among the local purveyors of edible flowers is Specialty Produce in Loma Portal, which sells the blooms to both the restaurant industry and consumers.

“We sell about 50 boxes a week of mixed flowers, but sales aren’t like they used to be,” says Roger Harrington, whose family has owned Specialty Produce for 20 years. “A lot of restaurants are going instead for micro lettuces, which are more palatable and just as pretty. Today, edible flowers make up less than 1 percent of our sales.”

Harrington says, however, that purple orchids are among the most popular. “I can’t imagine eating them, but chefs buy them a lot – mainly for garnish.”

Conversely, he admits to enjoying nasturtiums. “Those are actually pretty good, because they have a spicy, radish-like flavor and look very nice on a plate.”

He adds that flowering herbs such as rosemary, thyme, garlic flowers and chive blossoms are “more edible,” yet they’re only available during very short growing seasons, as opposed to colorful pansies and various mixed flowers obtainable year round.

Ben Panchick of Encinitas, who runs a private catering company, believes that edible flowers “add an air of distinction” to food, but stresses that flowers sprayed with pesticides should never be eaten. He strongly recommends buying them from established produce outlets like Specialty or Chino Farms.

“Not all flowers are edible,” he warns. “Some are delicious. Others are vile and could be poisonous. You can’t just walk around town picking the ones you think will look beautiful in your salad.”

Below is a list of consumable blooms that are safe to eat and used often to brighten up soups, salads and a variety of gourmet entrees.

Borage – Commonly scattered throughout salads, these small purplish-blue flowers offer a grassy herbal flavor that pairs particularly well with tomatoes.

Daylily – Known for their lettuce-like crunch, daylilies appear in a variety of warm colors and offer a sweet, buttery flavor that goes well with foods sprinkled in black pepper.

Mixed flowers – The mix usually contains cultivated wild roses, hollyhocks, daisies, chrysanthemums and violets, adding a slight perfume essence to meals, along with colorful eye appeal.

Nasturtium – Chefs give high marks to these flowers because of their versatility and peppery bite, which matches well to meat dishes, stir frys and even guacamole.

Pansy – From bland to bitter, pansies work best as a garnish, although some epicureans compare their flavor to baby chard and wintergreens.

Squash Blossom – The flower earns high marks from chefs because of its moist, velvety texture, yellow-orange color and fresh squash flavor, albeit subtle. It’s also one of the few flowers that hold up well when sautéed.