ATTENTION! It is believed that - despite being used since ancient times in human nutrition - borage is potentially toxic or even carcinogenic. This is attributable to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids harmful to the liver (lycosamine, amabiline, supinidine, thesis And durrina), contained in the leaves, in the stem, in the roots BUT not in the seeds.
General and description
Borage is a product of vegetable origin belonging to the VI group of foods, which includes all vegetables and fruits rich in vit. A (carotenoids - retinol equivalents). It also boasts a notable use in the oil industry for the extraction of fats from seeds (achenes), particularly used in phytotherapy and cosmetics. Often, borage is grown in the grazing areas of honey bees.
Borage belongs to the Boraginaceae family, Genus Borago, Species officinalis; the binomial nomenclature of borage is Borago officinalis.
Borage is a herbaceous plant with an annual cycle. It has green, broad, oval-shaped leaves covered with fuzz. The flowers are gathered, with purplish blue petals and red stems, also covered with hair. The plant rarely exceeds 50cm in height; at the base it has some leaves organized in a radial pattern, while in the center stands a main stem from which other leaves branch off. and clusters of flowers.The borage seeds are small and brown in color.
Origin and cultivation
The origins of borage are not well defined.It is a typically oriental plant, subsequently introduced and spread in the West (old and new continent). It grows and can be cultivated in both flat and hilly areas, as long as the climate boasts moderate annual average temperatures, but with a well-defined winter season and well-distributed rainfall throughout the year.
Also thanks to the simplicity of application, borage is one of the "wild" edible plants most interested in agriculture. It does not require particular fertilizations or accurate irrigations; if you want to choose, it is better to prefer fine soils with ample sun exposure. Borage is sown in spring and directly on the ground (or in pots); it is a plant that survives the cold season well and that, in addition to recurring autonomously, tends to become a weed.
Borage in gastronomy
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
Borage is an extremely popular food in the Italian culinary tradition. In addition to representing an "aromatic herb with a marked taste (and aroma) of cucumber, borage constitutes a real" cooked herb ". It is rarely used raw and, in any case, only the small young leaves are preferred ( less hairy than large ones.) Together with burnet and watercress, it successfully aromatizes green summer salads.
When cooked, borage can be used in a thousand ways; such as chicory, turnip greens, agretti or friar's beard, chard, dandelion, etc. borage lends itself to the formulation of side dishes known as "cooked grass". Alone or in combination with the aforementioned, it must be boiled in hot water (to remove the fluff), drained carefully (some squeeze it but personally I do not recommend depriving it of the juice) and consumed plain or sautéed in a pan with garlic or lemon.
Cooked borage is frequently used in the filling of tortelli, in the accompanying sauce for certain first courses or in the cooking juices of some dishes (such as roasts).
The oil obtained by extraction from the seeds (achenes) is very rich in omega 6, in particular in gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), with anti-inflammatory properties and indicated in dermatological pathologies with an allergic component.
Deepening: borage oil
Other applications
Borage (leaves and flowers) is traditionally used in herbal medicine in the form of a decoction or infusion. It seems that its main characteristics are purifying, diuretic and detoxifying; some also report a possible pro-sudorific effect (from which "maybe" takes its name: borrago - medieval Latin).
We remind you that, as specified above, borage also has a non-negligible level of hepatotoxic molecules; moreover, certain forms of hypersensitivity towards one or more constituents of the plant are also well known.
Nutritional characteristics
Borage is a low-energy vegetable; fats, lipids and proteins are present in low quantities and there is no detailed information on the intake of dietary fiber.
Borage is rich in potassium and iron, but calcium is also relevant. As far as the concentration of vitamins is concerned, the most interesting is certainly related to carotenoids (pro vit. A).
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