Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Borage along with all the Borage containing recipes presented on this site, with 10 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Borage as a major wild food ingredient.

Borage, Borago officinalis, (also known as Echium amoenum, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort and Starflower) is an annual herb (rarely biennial) belonging to the Boraginaceae (borage or forget-me not) family. The plant originated in Syria but has been naturalized throughout most of Europe, North Africa and Iran.



Normally it grows to about 90cm in height and is distinguished by having bristly hair that covers its stems (which are hollow, bristly and spreading) and bear alternative leaves about 10cm in length. The leaves are bristly, oval and oblong which grow as a rosette at the base of the plant and are alternate further up the stem. The plant's most striking attributes are its flowers which are either blue or pink in hue and bear five small distinctly pointed petals (hence the name 'starflower'). It reproduces by prolific self-seeding and will grow year-on-year where it was first planted. Though commonly considered a garden plant, because it has been naturalized to much of Europe it can be considered a 'wild food' as well as a garden herb.



The young leaves and flowers of this plant are eaten, especially in Central Europe. The leaves have a pronounced cucumber-like flavour and are used in salads and soups. They are also used in to make the German Frankfurter Grüne Sauce in conjunction with parsley, chervil, chives, cress, sorrel, burnet. The flowers have a sweet honey-like taste and are often used to decorate desserts and salads. They are also frozen in ice-cubes to decorate cocktails.



It should be noted that the leaves contain small amounts (10 ppm of dried herb) of the liver-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids: intermedine, lycopsamine, amabiline and supinine; though this is generally too little to be toxic in humans.

The origin of the English name 'borrage' is uncertain. It may be derived either from the French word bourrache (an old term meaning 'rough' or 'hairy' referring to the leaves and stems) or it could derive from the Celtic, 'borrach;, meaning 'courage'. This etymology links to the Greek and Roman belief that borage afforded comfort and imparted courage (it was for courage that borage flowers were floated in the stirrup cups given to Christian crusaders).

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and can be used as a potherb. They are also used as a flavouring to a number of drinks, most notably Pimms and wine punches. Due to their hairy nature, the whole leaves feel unpleasant on the tongue and are best finely chopped until consumed. The flowers make and excellent garnish to salads and other dishes. They can also be frozen in ice cubes and added to drinks.

A refreshing tea can be made from an infusion of the leaves and flowers. Though the leaves cannot be readily dried, the dried stems can be used for flavouring drinks. The seeds can be processed into an oil, 20% of which is gamma-linolenic acid.

References:

[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants