Traditions with fenugreek

Fenugreek, a small golden seed with a bittersweet flavour and a maple-like aroma, is used whole, ground and as leaves in the cooking of India, Ethiopia, the Middle East and the Caucasus. It is one of the spices of curry powder, and its leaves, methi, are a winter delicacy in North India. It also appears in festive foods and, by tradition, in recipes for new mothers. These pages describe where and why it is used.

Where it is used

In India, methi leaves are cooked with potatoes and in parathas, and the seeds are in pickles and panch phoron. In Ethiopia, fenugreek is in berbere and in the bread of festivals. In Egypt, a fenugreek drink is made, and in Yemen, hilbeh, a frothy dip, accompanies the meal. In Georgia, utskho suneli, blue fenugreek, flavours the walnut sauces of the supra.

What it means

In many homes, new mothers are given fenugreek laddus, which tradition says restore strength. This is a custom described here as tradition, not medical advice. In Ethiopia, a fenugreek-flavoured bread is baked for Easter. In North India, the arrival of fresh methi in the market signals the winter season, and families cook it together. Its slight bitterness is part of the flavour of home for many people, and a bunch is often given to a neighbour.