![\"P1390234\"](\"http:\/\/www.edimentals.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/P1390234.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHere’s a few pictures of it taken in woodland in the Strandja Nature Park in April 2015. Before I had known of it’s edibility I had also taken one picture of it just last December at Hilliers Aboretum in Hampshire, UK. As fate would have it, I’m giving a talk there tomorrow!!<\/p>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nWikipedia says:<\/em><\/strong> Abraham-Isaac-Jacob , Early-flowering or Oriental Borage, is a<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>perennial<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>herb<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>of the family<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Boraginaceae<\/em><\/a>. It is frequently grown as an ornamental for its early blue-violet flowers and large leaves. It quickly spreads to provide a dense<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>groundcover<\/em><\/a>. Trachystemon is derived from the Greek trachys, meaning rough, and stemon, a stamen. The species name orientalis means eastern or from the orient, and is a reference to the native distribution of this species. Trachystemon orientalis is endemic to southeastern Europe and western Asia.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Trachystemon orientalis has naturalised widely in the UK and other European countries, like Germany, where it is grown by Turkish immigrants. I am grateful to one of my new friends from Bulgaria, Maria Tariyska<\/a>\u00a0and also\u00a0Ivan Kamburov \u00a0for informing me and\u00a0for explaining how it\u2019s used in Bulgaria:<\/p>\n The most famous use of Trachystemon \u00a0orientalis in Strandja is connected with the preparation of river fish (fish in lopushka – the name of the plant in Strandja). Small river fish with spices in the leaves of Trachystenom orientalis are baked while buried in the embers (almost extinct). Young stems with flowers of Trachystemon orientalis smothered in fat. Eggs eventually may be added at the end. It is believed that Trachystemon orientalis and nettles are one of the most nutritious foods. We (Ivan and me) put flowers and young shoots in our salads.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/bsbi.org\/maps\/#taxonid=2cd4p9h.p8r&taxon=Trachystemon orientalis\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n