Marigolds are the flowers of the “Dassera” family. Its fiery yellow, orange, and red hues are often associated with joy, optimism, hope, and abundance. It is also a symbol of sadness and mourning. Many cultures associate marigold flowers with resurrection and respect for the dead.
On September 12, 1943, a small note purportedly written by the editor was published in the evening edition of the Marathi newspaper Jnanaprakash. It said that for the past few months, several citizens of Pune, especially those who believe in homeopathy, had resorted to eating marigold petals. Some local shops were selling ghee with marigold petals added. We have released a new product “Marigold Tea”. The memo asked local doctors whether long-term consumption of marigold petals would have any negative health effects.
A few months ago, the Bombay Chronicle reported that World War II had prevented the importation of saffron from Spain, so some European restaurants serving Italian food were using marigolds or calendula instead of saffron. It was reported that the flower petals were used. She mentioned that calendula petals are also added to cakes and wondered if this practice was safe.
However, there is some confusion regarding marigolds. Depending on its geographical origin, plants have several common names, which can be confusing. Many plants may have the same name, whether they look similar or not.
In India, marigold is a common name that usually refers to two different genera of flowering plants in the daisy family. Marigolds include plant species in both the Calendula and Tagetes genera. However, flowers belonging to the genus Calendula, such as calendula, are not actually marigolds. Calendula and marigold are completely different plants. Confusion arises because calendula is often known as pot marigold, common marigold, or Scotch marigold, but it is not a true marigold at all. Marigolds are known as French marigolds. Tagetes his erecta is an African marigold.
Both pot marigolds and French marigolds were abundant in India. Some gardening books published in England in the 19th century referred to calendula as “marigold”, and the French marigold variety was called “marigold”. Pot he marigolds (Calendula officinalis) are native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean, while French he marigolds (Tagetes patula) are native to America. Calendula is edible and often appears on lists of attractive edible flowers. Some varieties of French marigolds are not edible. Depending on the variety involved, pot marigolds and French his marigolds are both fairly similar.
The name Tagetes, or French marigold, comes from the prophet Tagetes, who is credited with founding the ancient Etruscan religion. French his marigold was a very popular annual plant in English gardens across India. The genus name His Calendula comes from “calends”, a reference to the fact that in warm climates calendula bloom every month of the year. “Officinalis” indicates that it was kept in a warehouse or monastery and sold in a store.
Calendula, or pot marigold, was planted in gardens and farms throughout India. It was a beautiful ornamental plant that was easy to grow year after year and thrived in sunny locations in the countryside. It withstood neglect and even endured the harsh summers of the countryside. It was easy to grow from seeds.
Its petals, both fresh and dried, add a delicate, aromatic, salty-bitter flavor and intense color to dishes. Petals add color and texture to drinks and foods rather than giving them a strong flavor. Pot marigolds were sometimes known as the poor man’s saffron. The yellow-orange flowers were prized and were often used as a substitute for saffron. Saffron and Kashmir brought to Pune from Spain were frequently contaminated with calendula florets.
A British woman living in India often used potted marigolds in her kitchen. Pot marigold petals were used not only as food coloring, but also in soups and stews. It was used in puddings, dumplings, and even wine. Fresh or dried petals can be used as yellow-orange coloring in white sauces or as a colorful garnish in butters, salads, and desserts. I scrambled calendula petals with eggs. Petals were crushed with soaked cashews and added to cream cheese or butter. I made sandwiches using this “calendula cream cheese” or “calendula butter.” The agriculture department often advised farmers in Pune to feed calendula to chickens to darken the color of egg yolks.
Pot marigold leaves and petals were known for their medicinal properties. The leaves were suggested to be added to leafy salads. When eaten as a salad, it was thought to be helpful in treating scrofulitis in children. A decoction of calendula flowers was often used in the English countryside as a cure for measles and smallpox, and was a widely administered treatment, one of the few that everyone knew about. This home remedy was also practiced in Anglo-Indian households.
Calendula’s medicinal properties have been known since ancient times, and by the 1800s, doctors realized that the plant could help stop bleeding when used as a poultice. During the Civil War, most doctors carried dried calendula petals in their medical bags to stop bleeding and promote wound healing.
Calendula was used by some doctors during World War I. In June 1942, shortly after the United States entered World War II, Dr. Ethelbert Petri Hoyle, a brilliant physician and homeopath, published a paper in the journal Homeopathic Recorder in which the first world He shared his experiences in the Great War. During World War I, Hoyle used calendula solution extensively to clean wounds.
In the 1940s, nationalist writer Dutpant V Tamhankar lived in England. He worked as a correspondent for Marathi newspapers ‘Kesari’ and ‘Sahyadri’ and frequently contributed to several other English newspapers as well. During World War II, he regularly reported on events in Marathi and English newspapers. Some of his reports focused on the effects of war on ordinary people. The sudden craze over ‘marigold flowers’ in Mumbai and Pune can be attributed to one of the articles written by Tamhankar in one of the British dailies published in Mumbai in May 1943.
Tamhankar said in the article that common people started growing potatoes in 1940 following an appeal from the British government. Several gardens, parks and open spaces were converted into potato farms. After the success of large-scale potato cultivation, some British doctors asked the government to grow pot marigolds. The flowers could be used to treat wounded soldiers, and the leaves could be used as food. However, Tamhankar omitted the word ‘pot’ while writing his report.
Tanmuhankar’s English article was summarized in Kesari in the same month. Readers from Pune and Mumbai may have fallen in love with marigold flowers after reading this.
But Agriculture Department officials were concerned. They knew that both calendula and tagetes are commonly called ‘marigold’ in English and ‘jendu’ in Marathi. Calendula and pot marigolds were edible, but some varieties of French marigolds were not. Officers were also unsure about the toxicity of the flowers if ingested over a long period of time.
The note of ‘Jnanaprakash’ dated October 29, 1943 mentioned an appeal by the Agriculture Department. “Residents of Pune have been asked not to consume ‘jhendu’ (marigold) flowers every day. They can consult faculty members at agricultural universities about the flowers they are eating.”
I think the craze for “Marigold” quickly died down.
