Botanical name: Trigonella foenum-graecum    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)

Fenugreek is an ancient spice, although currently not much known in the West. In India, it is popular for pickles and also in cooking. Dry roasting can enhance the flavour and reduce the bitterness, provided care is taken not to overheat the seeds. The plant is an erect annual herb, 10-50 cm tall, sparingly velvety to hairless. Leaves are trifoliate with leaflets 1-3 cm long, 5-15 mm broad, obovate to inverted-lanceshaped, toothed or incised. Stipules are lanceshaped, long-pointed, entire. Flowers are cream-colored or yellowish-white, sometimes tinged with lilac, 1-2 in leaf axils. Sepal cup is 7-8 mm long, teeth as long as the tube. Flowers are 1.2-1.8 cm long. Fruit is 5-11 mm long, 3-5 mm broad, smooth or velvety, tapering into a beak, 1-3.5 cm long, 10-20-seeded. Flowering: January-April.

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The flower labeled Fenugreek is ...