Kozieradka/ siano greckie (Trigonella foenum-graecum) - nasiona - Uniwersalna przyprawa

Fenugreek is a traditional, heat-loving annual herb and medicinal plant from the legume family. It forms delicate, clover-like leaves and blooms in summer with fine, pale yellow to creamy white flowers. Its German name comes from the long, curved seed pods, which visually strongly resemble the horns of a billy goat. The entire plant gives off an intense, spicy fragrance that immediately brings oriental curry blends to mind. It is an absolute asset for a herb garden or a large container on the balcony.

Contents: 20/ 50/ 200 seeds

The plant loves a full-sun and sheltered location. It grows upright, slightly branched, and reaches a height of about 30 to 60 cm depending on the site conditions. Since fenugreek forms a fairly deep taproot, the soil should be deep and well drained. If you grow it in a container, choose a correspondingly deep vessel.

As far as care is concerned, it is extremely undemanding. Since fenugreek belongs to the legumes, it forms a symbiosis with nodule bacteria on its roots and independently binds nitrogen from the air. I therefore completely refrain from additional fertilization for this plant! An excess of nutrients is more likely to harm the plant, make it grow excessively lush and diminish its delicate aroma. I simply sow it in normal, well-loosened garden soil - that is entirely sufficient as a basis for the whole season.

Fenugreek is a true all-rounder in the kitchen. The ripe, dried seeds are an indispensable component of almost every good curry blend and also give homemade bread a wonderful, rustic flavor.

My culinary tip: Before grinding them in a mortar, briefly roast the hard seeds in a pan without fat. This removes their slight bitterness and greatly intensifies their warm, nutty aroma.

In addition to the seeds, the leaves can also be used - either fresh in salads or dried. In Indian and Persian cuisine, the dried leaves are highly valued as "Kasuri Methi". If you crave the aroma outside the season, the seeds are also excellent for growing spicy sprouts or microgreens on the windowsill all year round.

Fenugreek has an impressively long history of cultivation. It was already grown extensively in ancient Egypt; the seeds were even found as valuable offerings in the burial chambers of the pharaohs. In Central Europe, Charlemagne ordered the systematic cultivation of the plant in imperial gardens in 795 in his famous estate ordinance (Capitulare de villis), in order to secure supplies for the empire. Universal scholars such as Hildegard of Bingen and later Pastor Sebastian Kneipp also held the plant in high regard and incorporated it firmly into traditional herbal medicine because of its many properties.