Borago officinalis

Description

Leaves can be eaten both raw and cooked. They can serve as an herb in dishes or be added to salads. The leaves have a salty taste and are rich in potassium and calcium. It is best to finely chop the hairy leaves and add them to other leafy greens in a salad due to their texture. Fresh use of the leaves is recommended since they lose flavor and color when dried. The flowers can be eaten raw and are often used as decoration on salads and in summer drinks. They have a sweet, slightly cucumber-like flavor and are also used to make refreshing tea. The dried stems of the plant are used to flavor beverages. The seeds of the plant contain 30% oil, of which 20% is gamma-linolenic acid. The yields from the plant range between 0.35-0.65 tons per hectare. Harvesting the seeds can be challenging because they ripen at different times and fall off the plant when ripe. The flowers of the plant can be used to obtain an edible blue dye that is also used to color vinegar.

Guilds