a flower that has conquered the hearts of great chefs

Symbol of Toulouse (Upper Garonne) the violet flower is discreet and delicate. With its parma color and its white heart, it is so fragile that they are only some at cultivate it in the region but more and more people appreciate it in the kitchen. It’s Hélène’s passion Life for thirty years. With its 3,000 plants, it has become the ambassador of this flower which almost disappeared. In the 1960s, they supported 600 market gardeners in Toulouse, the bouquets of violets were exported all over the world before being replaced by other flowers, less difficult to cultivate.

“Violet has a unique story. We fight to make it grow despite all the competition”says Hélène Life. The quality of its production attracts around thirty French cooks, often starred. As a close neighbor, Thierry Mervilleowner of the restaurant The Merville Tableoften comes himself to do his picking. The flower is heart of one of its signature dishes : a tiramisu that he revisits with violets, but also with syrup, violet sugar and crystallized petals provided by Hélène Life.