fenugreek
/ˈfɛnjʊɡriːk
/noun [mass noun]
A white-flowered herbaceous plant of the pea family, with aromatic seeds that are used for flavouring, especially ground and used in curry powder.
- Trigonella foenum-graecum, family Leguminosae.
- Spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, black peppercorns, fenugreek, and chillies are blended with coconut, roasted until quite dark in colour, and then fried giving a toasted nutty taste and lending a dark colour to curries.
- There is no part of the world that is not home to a variety of spices; cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, nigella, sesame, anise, the list is endless.
Origin
Old English fenogrecum (superseded in Middle English by forms from Old French fenugrec), from Latin faenugraecum, from faenum graecum 'Greek hay' (the Romans used the dried plant as fodder).