Fenugreek is an exquisite spice that not a lot of people in Cyprus know about, even though it is one of the oldest spices on earth.
Name - Origin
Μοσχοσίταρο ή τριγωνέλλα. Fenugreek is an exquisite spice that not a lot of people in Cyprus know about, even though it is one of the oldest spices on earth. It is a native plant of Cyprus and can be found in cultivated fields in various areas of the island, especially in Karpasia. It belongs to the pea family. It is also called tsiméni because it is one of the spices used to make tsiméni, the coating of Cappadocia pastourmá. Fenugreek is what gives the traditional pastourmá its characteristic smell.
Scientific name: Trigonella Foenum Greacum. Theophrastus mentions that this plant was called τήλις (tílis) in ancient times.
Additional information and bibliography
Kythraiotou F. (2009), Τροφή: αφορμή σχέσης, Publications of the University of Nicosia, Nicosia.
Florentia Kythraiotou