Fenugreek

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Suma Karnam about her Fenugreek Seminar. Suma is both an active volunteer at the Gill Tract and an enthusiastic gardener at the UC Village.

About Suma:

Suma Karnam has been in the Berkeley area for about one year. During her time here she has been an active volunteer at the UC Gill Tract Community Farm and has recently started her own garden. Fenugreek has always been a staple in Suma’s cooking. When she moved to Berkeley and could find no fenugreek greens in the supermarkets she began growing her own. Suma started her own fenugreek garden in the UC Village last year. The majority of her fenugreek crop is harvested for the greens, which she widely shares with her friends and neighbors. With her greens ready for harvest Suma is excited to share the fenugreek flavor with the Gill Tract Community!

About Fenugreek: Fenugreek is commonly fount in South Asia, but is recognized worldwide as a cooking and medicinal crop. The earliest recovery of the plant is dated back to 4000 BC and comes from the genus Trigonella. Both the seeds and the greens are good for cooking, however, the seeds take longer to produce. Fenugreek takes 2-3 days to germinate. The greens are then ready to harvest after 6-8 weeks. While the crop grows best in the winter, it is relatively hardy and will survive through the summer months.