“April showers bring May flowers, but what do May flowers bring?” is a popular American saying, but in Italy, the flowers from the  “common” elderberry bush, or fiori di sambuco bring captivating fragrance, medicine, and culinary masterpieces to the table.  Elderberry, or Sambuco is an indigenous tree from the Adoxocea family that grows spontaneously all over Italy. 

The flowers are collected from mid-April to the end of May in the marinas, while to have the flowers during the summer you have to climb up to the mountains where they can also be found in August. Internationally,  sambuco is more commonly known as the anise-infused liqueur, which is sold as Sambuca, and is one of the world’s most popular after-dinner drinks. 

While I was familiar with elderberry fruit, until recently, I had never had the opportunity to work with the beautiful flowers. During my stay in Calabria last month, however, I had the pleasure of harvesting the exquisite sambuco blooms and learned to cook and bake with them as well. The elderberry plants can grow wild or cultivated, as a hedge or as an ornamental tree, like those that grace the driveway of Chef Salvatore Murano’s MAX Trattoria Enoteca in Cirò Marina, Calabria. According to Calabrian culinary Ambassador Chef Salvatore, who is also a food historian and anthropolgy enthusiast, the white spongy pith shaft and other parts were used to make traditional musical instruments and mouthpieces. In the past, he told me, they were even used by farmers to make disposable pipes. 

In Calabria, certainly in the Cirotano area, and in almost all of the Crotone area, its highly perfumed edible flowers are appreciated in both gastronomy and as a traditional medicinal. When harvested, the elderberry flowers must be yellowish white due to their abundance of pollen, which gives them an intense fragrance. Their flowering is very prolonged and after harvesting, they must be carefully wrapped in a cotton or linen cloth and planted under the mattress, and possibly rested on it, for at least twenty-four hours, according to local customs. 

The second step in harvesting elderberry flowers is to carefully remove them from the stem, which, like the leaves and the rest of the plant, is not edible as it contains a toxin which is poisonous if ingested. In home remedies, the sambuco flowers are dried and steeped into a tisane which are used as  cough expectorant to relieve feverish states and for cooling symptoms by increasing sweating. 

In Italian and other European kitchens, on the other hand, elderberry flowers are a healthful ingredient used for making bread, pasta and succulent focaccia. Some of the foccacie, called “maio” in Calabrian dialect are a coveted local delicacy, as they are even stuffed with pork cracklings called "risimujji" in dialect. Frittelle or fritters with elderberry can also be made by frying the flower-stuffed focaccia dough in extra virgin olive oil. 

In Italy,  elderberry flower syrup is also enjoyed as a refreshing tonic that’s made by steeping the flowers in lemon juice and sugar or alcohol. In some areas of Calabria, such as San Giovanni in Fiore, they use the red berries that are left after the elderberries flower to make a special wine. In Northern and Eastern European countries elderberry fruit is a common ingredient in popular ruby red jams. 

Full of flavanoids, anti-inflammatory compounds and packed with Vitamin A, fiber, and potassium, both elderberry fruit and flowers have been used in traditional Italian medicine for ages. Witnessing them being transformed into delicacies that are perfectly suited to modern palates is truly magical. In Italy we associate May with many delightful things such as roses, Mother’s Day, and the religious festivals honoring the Madonna that take place all over the peninsula. After my amazing experience at Max Trattoria Enoteca, I believe elderberry flowers should be one of them. 

*Photos of Chef Amy Riolo and Chef Salvatore Murano and Elderberry-Stuffed Bread by Domenico Morise. @phdomenicomorise