Fenugreek Products
The Fenugreek seed has a very long history and has been used as a spice for thousands of years. Considered a very good botanical for women, Indigo Herbs now carries Fenugreek Seed Powder and Fenugreek Seed Tincture to be utilised and enjoyed by all.
At an archaeological site in Iraq Fenugreek seeds were discovered and were carbon dated at 4,000 years BC. The Egyptians also used Fenugreek as the discovery of the seed within the tomb of Tutankhamen would suggest. It is possible that the cultivated variant of Fenugreek came from Egypt and was spread throughout the world from there. In De Agri Cultura, Canto the Elder (234-149) mentions the use of this seed for feeding cattle. Botanists are unsure of which strain of wild Trigonella was domesticated to produce the cultivated Fenugreek that has been used throughout history. As far as Asia and Africa the seeds have been utilised in many culinary dishes. The seeds are so aromatic that when using them to add spice to cooking only 6-7 seeds need to be used. In the same fashion the seeds are chewed in India after a meal to freshen the breath. In the medical systems of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine Fenugreek is mentioned for its great capacity as a tonic for women.
Fenugreek is an annual plant and belong to the family of Fabaceae plants. It loves semi-arid conditions/soil and can reach up to 60cm in height and has an upright stature. The leaves are green or sometimes purple and grow in sets of three at a time. When flowering commences Fenugreek produces single purple or white flowers and the plant exudes a extremely aromatic smell. Fenugreek seed pods are similar to those of beans and are long and thin containing up to 20 seeds.
