TikTok surprises us once again: can you eat this like this?!

There’s a lot of culinary nonsense going around on TikTok, but it’s just as much a source of incredibly interesting inspiration! Some things are as simple as making a cocktail from a bottle of Corona in three steps, while others require a little more work. And sometimes something goes viral that you might never have thought could exist…

Last summer, I drove past vast sunflower fields in France, beautiful bright-yellow seas that seemed to stretch endlessly behind the hills. Have you ever admired fields like that and wondered whether these plants (apart from the ones that end up as flowers in vases) are all destined to become sunflower oil or roasted seeds in a salad? I have, which is why I was so incredibly surprised when I saw this TikTok recipe:

Sunshine on your plate

Apparently, it’s quite the craze, at least in places where sunflowers are widely grown. And you can hardly believe it, but the videos don’t lie: you can roast and eat the entire heart of a young sunflower! I had never heard of this before, and find it fascinating…

@redleafranch#Grilled #Sunflower #ASMR – Short Version??? #gardentok #cooktok #yum #vegetarian #trending #growyourfood♬ original sound – Redleaf Ranch

Put it on the grill

If you remove the petals (which is a little painful to watch if you love flowers) and coat the large, round heart with oil, you can place the whole thing upside down on a grill. Another option: coat it with oil, sprinkle with salt, wrap it in aluminum foil and roast for twenty minutes. You can also season it however you like; people use paprika, or butter and Parmesan after grilling, and basically anything you would normally use to marinate grilled vegetables works well here too!

@fashionbyallytaste testing grilled sunflower? #hawaii #oahu #foodtiktok #uniquefood #tastetest♬ chicken tikka – han

Distinctive flavor

Fascinating… but what does it taste like? We haven’t tried it ourselves yet, but the flavor most often mentioned by people who have eaten it is: a little like corn, with a hint of artichoke and perhaps a touch of eggplant. Soft and nutty at the same time. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it?! I know what I’m going to try the next time I have a young sunflower and a fire at my disposal…

Also read:

• Once and for all: THIS is the best way to prepare corn on the cob
• Summer snack: artichoke mayo
• 6 common mistakes when roasting vegetables