Lavender Truffles

Some have claimed that lavender originates from East Asia, though perhaps some of the more proudly Greek/Italian among us may boast its nativity to be the Mediterranean. It is seeming more likely that both claims may be accurate, as there are so many ‘species’ of the herb--ranging from North America, across Europe, through Turkey and Asia. (*Check the bottom of this page for some of these varying claims, histories, and uses, each as rich and mysterious as the herb itself.) Each species of lavender offers subtly different shades and hues, aromas, and flavours and even aromatherapeutic/healing qualities. However, its pairing with chocolate is probably its least contentious aspect; even French chefs have finally realized the joys of adding the herb to not merely a savoury lamb shank but to the far more coveted cacao.
I’ve noticed many happy foodies blogging about this herb so at risk of telling you all information you already know let me set the mood with some tunage de provance and suggest some tips to help you perfect and refine your lovely rustic recipes.

"Lavender" - Forest King

Before discussing the uses of culinary lavender buds, let us discuss which types and where. They may be poured out of a lovely McCormick’s bottle. Or they may be obtained from a planter box you bought on a whim with a sense of quiet adventure bubbling--those quaint little green basins make me giddy! However, if you’re feeling even more adventurous, as I have as of late (aka living repugnantly care-free, sans constraints and demands of hard adult living) then you may have a twinkle in your eye with the question, how can I grow it? Thankfully it grows like a weed (check your garden) so transplanting is quite simple. If you have a blossoming green thumb for veggies and herbs, I will be on that road shortly, posting wildly my successes and failures. But for the meantime, check out Gayla Trail’s lovely book, Grow Great Grub and keep in mind that lavender enjoys dry sunlight.
Digressing now to the steeping. Lavender, though delicate, packs a surprisingly powerful punch. Though florally aromatic, known for its ability to calm and soothe, lavender has a beautiful dark side. With proper cooking, you can achieve both elements in the taste--a subtle aromatic wave, followed by a spicy, peppery pungency, swept aside by delicate sweetness. You will want to run away to Paris, as our Montréal poetess, Mavis Gallant, has done!
Use roughly 1 tsp* (1/6 oz), heating your cream (or coconut milk, which pairs beautifully) first (otherwise you will burn the little buds). Once it starts to bubble slightly turn off the heat, add your lavender, give it quick stir and cover. Let it be for 45 minutes, gently heating in between for a short time to give an added boost. Strain the browned buds and breathe in the aroma.
*A little goes a long way, but too little leaves your chocolate lacklustre but chocolate nonetheless, so air on the side of caution when measuring out your buds.
Once you’ve recovered from the transporting wave of a Mediterranean breeze (or, like me, watched Parfume for the upteenth time) then reheat your infused cream following
The Basic Truffle Recipe. Do not add your chocolate directly into the pot, it will burn and I will cry.
Back to the Mediterranean... How most people consider this region is, in fact, only a minute portion; it stretches from Portugal and Syria, across the Balkans and the Adriatic, into Turkey and Western Asia, with its climate stretching upward through the lower Alps. So where within this vast region would Lavender have originated, and does it even matter? As a point of interest, this delicate herb owned, stolen, borrowed, and kept by so many throughout the centuries, regardless of its origin held much sway in trades; so, its role in trading could provide some clues. For instance, the Romans referred to it by the Syrian town Naarda, the first stop along the trade route. Many seem to wish for this herb to have a location, to be possessed, to have a root. For some time I had desperately searched for its earliest uses in chocolate, coming across an apparent inter-Mediterranean feud, peppered with some Belgian and American boasting. However, I am content to leave the herb, which has always been a source of whimsy for my fairy-loving imagination, as what it is--a nomadic, romantic, and I daresay, transcendent delight that is not bound to humans but which may bind our tastes.
*
http://haystacksandchampagne.blogspot.ca/2012/01/dark-chocolate-lavender-truffleslove-at.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender
http://www.complete-herbal.com/details/lavender.html
http://www.lavenderfarm.com/history.htm
http://cookingwithchopin.blogspot.ca/2011/08/lavender-truffles.html