🌿 Fenugreek Seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)
📝 Description:
Fenugreek seeds are small, yellowish-brown in color, and have a slightly bitter, nutty flavor 🌰. They’re a versatile spice used in Indian cuisine, herbal remedies, and even cosmetics.
🍽️ Culinary & Medicinal Uses:
- A key ingredient in spice blends, pickles, and curries
- Fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) are used as a leafy green vegetable
- Widely used in Ayurveda and traditional medicine
💚 Health Benefits:
- 🌡️ Helps regulate blood sugar
- 🧘 Aids in digestion
- 🔥 Contains anti-inflammatory compounds like saponins and alkaloids
🌱 Botanical Profile of Fenugreek
- Scientific Name: Trigonella foenum-graecum
- Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
- Origin: Mediterranean & Southwest Asia
- Plant Type: Annual herb
- Height: 30–60 cm
- Leaves: Trifoliate, light green
- Flowers: Small, pale yellow or white
- Seeds: Small, oblong, yellow-brown, aromatic
- Active Compounds: Saponins, alkaloids (trigonelline), diosgenin
🪴 Growing Conditions:
- Soil: Loamy, well-drained
- Climate: Cool, dry
- Sowing Time: October–November
- Harvest: February–March
🌟 Popular Fenugreek Varieties in India
- RMt-1: 1,300–1,500 kg/ha yield, 140–150 days, moderately disease-resistant
- RMt-305: 1,400–1,700 kg/ha, 150–160 days, fungal disease tolerant
- Gujarat Methi-1: 1,200–1,400 kg/ha, 140–150 days, powdery mildew resistance
- Gujarat Methi-2: 1,300–1,600 kg/ha, 145–155 days, downy mildew & wilt resistance
- Hisar Sonali: 1,500–1,800 kg/ha, 155–165 days, resistant to wilt & rust
- Hisar Madhavi: 1,400–1,700 kg/ha, 150–160 days, powdery mildew tolerant
- Pusa Early Bunching: 1,100–1,300 kg/ha, 120–130 days (early), cold-tolerant
- CO-1: 1,200–1,500 kg/ha, 140–150 days, fusarium wilt tolerant