Aromatic mushroom grass will diversify the table and enrich the soil

This spicy plant is cultivated mainly in the south of Russia. In the middle lane about him heard a few. The plant is present in the wild. It is readily eaten by domestic animals. Mushroom grass will give an unusual flavor to your dishes.

Description

Fenugreek, or trigonella, is a plant of the legume family. It is an annual green stem with branches covered with elongated leaves. The height of the plant is about thirty centimeters. The leaf is small and has denticulate margins. Inflorescences bluish-lilac, arranged vertically. Blossom of fenugreek in June-July. The plant is an excellent honeycomb. Used mushroom grass and as an ornamental garden plant.

Origin

The plant came to us from India. Another name is shamballa. It grows in the foothills of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, to the Himalayas in the east, and also occurs in Ethiopia and Egypt. In the people spices are also called: Fenigrek grass, Fenugreek, Fenumgrek, Greek goat's trefoil, Greek hay, fenugreek Greek, Greek soyce, cocked hat, camel, mushroom grass.

Fenugreek is bred as a forage crop. A special kind of fenugreek blue is used as a seasoning. This is promoted by the high content of aromatic essential oils in the seeds, trigonellin alkaloid, bitter and tannic substances, saponin, starch, mineral salts, sugar, vitamins P, PP.

Using

In food not only stems and leaves are used, but also seeds of fenugreek blue. In Caucasian cuisine, you can meet ucco suneli - dry crushed tops of fenugreek stalks. The saturated taste of Trigonella is ideal for meat, fish dishes and mushrooms. It enhances the meat flavor of fries, broths, sauces and gravies. A specific shade of fenugreek essential oils resembles nuts.

In the eastern kitchen, also use fenugreek seeds, calling it hulba. They are used for thickening dishes. The high protein content of the seeds contributes to moisture retention. In the Middle Ages, this spice from the Arabs passed to the Spaniards. However, over time, the tradition is forgotten, now fenugreek can be met in the markets very rarely. Perhaps this is due to the appearance of overseas spices, as well as the difficulty of collecting and preparing fenugreek. Preserved grass in the walls of monasteries as a remedy. Mushroom grass enhances appetite with a pleasant aroma, and seeds contain the necessary amino acids.

Seasoning is very popular in Bulgaria. Trigonella, or mushroom grass, is used for hot dishes. It is filled with thick soup chorba, added to the gyuvech and made on its basis mixed seasonings. The famous Georgian spice of hops-suneli is bitter because of fenugreek.

Preparation

Prepare seasoning in advance. Fenugreek seeds are very hard. First they are poured with water, and then grind, then again dried, used as a seasoning. Soaking is necessary and to remove bitterness. The stems are mostly young, sometimes with inflorescences. They are collected, dried, and then thoroughly grinded. It is believed that the young greens taste like mushrooms. So they say, selling fenugreek seeds to land. This is just a common misconception. If you meet a fresh fenugreek in the eastern bazaar, he most likely will not smell anything. To taste, the green trigonella is like spinach. The dried grass reminds lovage, but with more gentle aroma.

Cultivation

Trigonella is bred with seeds. They sow in the open ground at the end of April. Depth of landing - 1,5-2 centimeters, the width of rows between 20 and 30 centimeters. Seedlings are visible on day 7-10. After the appearance of 2-3 real leaves, young crops are thinned, leaving 5-6 centimeters between the plants.

Like all beans, the trigonella enriches the soil with nitrogen compounds and is a good precursor for all plants. Diseases and pests of fenugreek do not strike. By the second half of June, the bushes of mushroom grass grow to 40-60 cm. They form elongated pods with seeds. By the end of August they are ripening - they turn yellow, and the seeds - yellow-brown.

To obtain the seasoning, cut off the tops with seeds in the stage of milky wax ripeness. To get the seeds for seeding, the tops are collected when the beans are ripe. They are dried, threshed, cleaned of debris. Again, it is dried and stored in paper bags at room temperature. Fenugreek breeds and self-sowing.