The flax seed is a food powerfully packed with nutrients. This is a food recognized by a recent issue of Women's Day magazine (November, 2006), for being one of the most nutritious foods.
Flax flour is available for purchase at many health food stores, however, not every shop will carry it. If you are going to the shop anyhow, no need to call, however, if you are making a visit to the shop just for the purpose of purchasing flax flour...
Flax seeds and flax oil were foods of Classical Greece, and are mentioned for being this in the book, Food in History, by Reay Tannahill, 1973, Stein and Day, NY, NY.
p. 77 states, "Oil was everywhere in demand in the ancient world, for food...flax and cameline in northern Europe."
I have yet to try flax oil in my home cooking. It is sometimes used to prepare spanikopita, although sparingly, along with sesame seed oil in the recipe. In other words, yes, flax oil is expensive.
p. 79 states "The Greeks," said Pliny, "soak some barley in water (probably for a few days), and then leave it for a night to dry. Next day, they dry it by the fire and then grind it in a mill... When it has been got ready, in the mill they mix three pounds of flax seed [which produces linseed oil when warmed and pounded], half a pound of coriander seed, and an eighth of a pint of salt, previously roasting them all."
Flax flour is an excellent addition to whole grain recipes. I remember cooking with it, and topping the bread with a tablespoon of oatmeal, a teaspoon of flax seeds, and a teaspoon of dried lavender flowers. This was a beautiful scottish oatmeal bread, the recipe for which has been lost. |
