This amazing plant with a double name ("borago" and "cucumber grass") has long been grown as a spicy aromatic, vegetable and medicinal.

The native land of the plant is the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Asia Minor. The leaves and flowers of the plant have long been used to uplift the spirit, increase the courage of Roman soldiers. In the XV century, flowers of cucumber grass were used to raise the spirit - "so that it would easily become on the heart, and worries disappear".

In the Middle Ages, participants in knight tournaments went out to fight only by drinking a cup of tea from borago and decorating it with blue flowers. Then the proverb was popular: "A garden without borago - a heart without courage".

The cucumber herb fell in love with Europeans, who knew its amazing properties.

The borage bush looks so cheerful and cheerful, so there is a lot of violent strength in it, that the cultivation of cucumber grass was prescribed earlier as a remedy for melancholy.

All parts of this fragrant plant are edible. Since ancient times, prepared from its leaves and stems, individual dishes, used as a side dish or stuffing, or seasoned them with other dishes, giving them a unique taste. Good cucumber grass for flavoring kvass and other refreshing drinks. The flowers of borago were decorated with salads and prepared for future use in a candied form.

Leaves of borago contain ascorbic, malic, citric acid, carotene, a large amount of potassium.

Traditional medicine advises to treat this herb from gout, inflammation of the kidneys, neurosis of the heart.

Leaves of cucumber grass can be used as a substitute for cucumbers in okroshka, vegetable, mushroom and meat salads, vinaigrettes, cold borscht, as seasonings for meat and fish dishes. From the flowers prepare various drinks with honey, cranberries, vegetable and berry juices, add flowers to kvass and tea.

Medicus. En.