Trigonella caerulea
| Blue fenugreek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Trigonella |
| Species: | T. caerulea |
| Binomial name | |
| Trigonella caerulea (L.) Ser.[1] | |
Trigonella caerulea (blue fenugreek[2][3] Georgian: ულუმბო, უცხო სუნელი - ulumbo, utskho suneli[4]) is an annual herb in the family Fabaceae. It is 30-60 cm tall. Its leaves are obovate or lance-shaped, 2-5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide and saw-toothed in upper part. Its flower stalks are compact, globular racemes, longer than the leaves. The sepals are twice as short as the corolla, its teeth are equal to the tube. The corolla is 5.5-6.5 mm long and blue. The pods are erect or slightly curved, compressed, 4-5 mm long with beak 2 mm. The seeds are small and elongated. It blossoms in April-May, the seeds ripen in May-June. It is self-pollinated.[5]
Use
Blue fenugreek is widely used in Georgian cuisine, where it is known as utskho suneli.[4] It is one of the ingredients of the Georgian spice mix khmeli suneli.[6] Both the seeds, the pods and the leaves are used. The smell and taste are similar to ordinary fenugreek, but milder.[7] In Switzerland it is used for flavouring the traditional schabziger cheese.[8]
References
- ↑ "Trigonella caerulea information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
- ↑ "Trigonella caerulea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- ↑ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- 1 2 Akhalkatsi, Maia (2012). "Diversity and Genetic Erosion of Ancient Crops and Wild Relatives of Agricultural Cultivars for Food: Implications for Nature Conservation in Georgia (Caucasus), Perspectives on Nature Conservation - Patterns, Pressures and Prospects". InTech. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
- ↑ AgroAtlas, accessed 29 July 2013.
- ↑ The Georgian feast: the vibrant culture and savory food of the Republic of Georgia by Darra Goldstein, University of California Press (1999) - ISBN 0-520-21929-5, p. 44.
- ↑ Blue fenugreek, Gernot Katzer's spice dictionary
- ↑ Kräuter und Gewürze aus heimischem Anbau (German)
External links
The dictionary definition of blue fenugreek at Wiktionary