Elderflowers can be used to flavour water or to create, with the addition of lemon and sugar, a thirst-quenching and very fragrant syrup. However, the most widespread culinary tradition in Umbria is that of using it to make delicious sweet fritters.

To make elderflower fritters, collect the whole umbels of flowers and then wash them to remove impurities and let them dry on a cloth.

Create a fairly liquid batter with the water, flour and egg, then dip the whole flowers in the batter and fry them in hot oil if you want to create a more scenic effect, or have fun cutting off only the white part of the flowers from the green stalks, add them to the batter and fry about a tablespoon of batter for each fritter in the oil.

With the same procedure, the white clustered flowers of the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), which blossoms at the same time as the elderberry, can be eaten.

A little sugar on each pancake and you're done!