Trigonella caerulea

Schabzigerklee

The Schabzigerklee ( Trigonella caerulea (L.) Ser, Syn: .. . Melilotus coerulea (L.) Desr, Melilotus coeruleus (L.) Desr, Trifolium caerulea L., Trifolium caeruleum L., Trigonella coerulea ( Desr. ) Ser. , Trigonella melilotus - coerulea (L.) Asch. & Graebn. , Trigonella melilotus - coeruleus (L.) Asch. & Graebn. ), also tailed clover or forties herb ( Switzerland ), Zigainerkraut (South Tyrol ), cheese clover, white clover or blue clover called, a plant belonging to the family Leguminosae ( Fabaceae, Leguminosae) is heard. It originates from the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus.

Culture and harvest

Schabzigerklee is an annual mountain plant and is highly growing wild 20 to 60 centimeters, in the culture to one meter. His many blue and highly fragrant flowers are good for bees.

The Schabzigerklee forms a taproot and accumulated nitrogen in the soil, which is important in organic farming: Through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria is obtained from the protein nitrogen of the air to the roots of the Fabaceae ( Leguminosae Leguminosae). This protein is located in nodules that can be used by the legume itself, but in the end also of all other plants. The cultivation of legumes can therefore make the use of nitrogen fertilizers unnecessary.

Harvesting the green herb by the plant is cut according to the purpose one to three times a year just before or after flowering. The fresh crop is subsequently dried and finely ground.

Use

Schabzigerklee used exclusively dried for seasoning. In Switzerland Schabzigerklee which is somewhat milder than the fenugreek and strong spicy smell of fresh hay and peculiar tastes bitter, for the production of Schabzigers, a very aromatic cheese used. In South Tyrol, it is used under the name Zigainerkraut than typical bread spice for the Vinschgau flatbread, Schuettelbrot and rye bread.

Furthermore, it is particularly suitable for savory sandwiches, pancakes or waffles, as well as other savory snacks, he spices salads, dips and spreads of cream cheese or cottage cheese and is used for casseroles with cheese, egg and potatoes. He is in dried form in the grocery and health food shops, mostly from German organic farming available.

Effect

The aromatic and bitter -tasting Schabzigerklee affects appetite and digestion stimulating.