Edible Easter grass is a form of decorative grass which is meant to be used in Easter baskets and other seasonal arrangements for Easter. In addition to looking pretty, it is also edible, although most edible Easter grass does not taste very good. The primary advantage to edible grass is that it is biodegradable, so it will not take up valuable and useful landfill space, in contrast with traditional plastic Easter grass. Many stores carry this product around Easter, and it is also available directly from several manufacturers.
There are several ways to make edible grass for Easter baskets. One method involves the use of spun sugar. Spun sugar has historically been used to make a passable replica of grass for complex candy arrangements; if you have seen the version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which stars Gene Wilder, you have seen spun sugar grass in action. However, spun sugar is delicate and not very shelf stable, making it a less than ideal filler for Easter gift baskets.
Therefore, most producers of edible Easter grass make it from an edible starch. Rice is a common choice of starch, although you can also find edible Easter grass made from potatoes and other starch sources. The starch is turned into a product known as wafer paper, which is also used as an edible candy wrapper by many Asian candy companies. The wafer paper can be flavored and colored with various substances by treating the starch before it is rolled out.
Once the wafer paper is made, it can be shredded to make edible Easter grass and an assortment of other products. Most companies make this product in a range of pastel colors for Easter, and it is often available in a sugar free form. As anyone who has tried wafer paper knows, while it is technically edible, it is nothing to write home about. If anything, it tastes rather like paper, having a somewhat starchy texture and taste before it dissolves on the tongue.
Wafer paper is very shelf stable, so it can be kept around the house or in a store for months, and it is very useful for lining gift baskets and making table arrangements. The best use of edible Easter grass is as an alternative to cellophane, paper, or wooden strips, and you may want to alert the recipient to the fact that the Easter grass can be composted, rather than just thrown away.
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.