WARNING! It is believed that - although it has been used in human food since ancient times - borage is potentially toxic or even carcinogenic. This is attributable to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids harmful to the liver ( licosamine, amabilin, supinidine, tesinin and durrina ), contained in the leaves, in the stem, in the roots MA not in the seeds.
Generalities and description
Borage is a product of plant origin belonging to the VI group of foods, which includes all vegetables and fruits rich in vit. A (carotenoids - retinol equivalents). It also has a considerable use in the oil industry for the extraction of fats from seeds (achenes), particularly used in phytotherapy and cosmetics. Often, borage is grown in honey-bee grazing areas.
Borage belongs to the Boraginaceae family, Genus Borago, Specie officinalis ; the binomial nomenclature of borage is Borago officinalis .
Borage is an annual cycle herbaceous plant. It has green, broad, oval-shaped leaves covered with down. The flowers are gathered, with purplish blue petals and red stems, also covered with down. The plant rarely exceeds 50cm in height; at the base it has some leaves arranged in a radial pattern, while in the center stands a main stem from which other leaves and groups of flowers branch out. The seeds of the borage are small and brown.
Origin and cultivation
The origins of borage are not well defined. It is a typically oriental plant, later introduced and diffused in the west (old and new continent). It grows and can be cultivated both in 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 affected by agriculture. It does not need special fertilizations or accurate irrigations; if you wish 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 a vase); it is a plant that survives well in the cold season and which, in addition to re-proposing itself, tends to become a pest.
Borage in gastronomy
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Borage is an extremely widespread food in the Italian culinary tradition. In addition to being an aromatic herb with a distinct taste (and aroma) of cucumber, borage forms a real "cooked herb". It is rarely used raw and, in any case, only small small leaflets (less hairy than large ones) are preferred. Together with the pimpinella and the watercress, it successfully aromatises the summer green salads.
Once cooked, borage can be used in a thousand ways; like chicory, turnip tops, agretti or monk's beard, chard, dandelion, etc. borage lends itself to the formulation of the contours known as "cooked grass". Alone or in association with the aforementioned, it must be boiled in hot water (to remove the hair), carefully drained (some squeeze it but personally I do not recommend depriving it of its juice) and consumed either in the natural state or sautéed with garlic or lemon.
The cooked borage is frequently used in the filling of tortelli, in the accompanying sauce for certain first courses or in the cooking bottom of some dishes (such as roasts).
The oil obtained by extraction from the seeds (achenes) is very rich in omega 6, in particular gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), with anti-inflammatory properties and indicated in dermatological diseases with allergic component.
Deepening: borage oil
Other applications
Borage (leaves and flowers) is traditionally used in herbal medicine in the form of decoction or infusion. It seems that its prevailing characteristics are purifying, diuretic and detoxifying; some also refer to a possible pro-sudorific effect (from which "perhaps" takes its name: borrago - medieval Latin).
Recall that, as specified above, borage also possesses a non-negligible level of hepatotoxic molecules; moreover, certain forms of hypersensitivity to 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 important. As far as the concentration of vitamins is concerned, the most interesting one certainly refers to carotenoids (pro vit. A).