Fenugreek production in India

The production of fenugreek in India is marked by its dominant position in world production and export. Within India Rajasthan accounts for its largest cropped area and production. The fenugreek plant is an annual herbaceous forage legume with aroma, which is used for food in the form of its seeds as spices, and its leaves as a vegetable. It is also used as a medicinal herb in several Ayurvedic formulations for treatment of dry skin, boils, hair loss and so forth.

Fenugreek's botanical name is Trigonella foenum-graecum in the subfamily of Papilioacae of the family of Leguminosae (bean family, Fabaceae) In India, it is known as methi in Hindi, Oriya, Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu languages, as methya in Marathi, menthya in Kannada, vendayam or Venthayam in Tamil, menthulu in Telugu and uluva in Malayalam. It is termed as Medhika or Chandrika in Sanskrit language.

It is believed that fenugreek was known in the Indian cuisine even 3,000 years ago. Its growth in the wild is reported from Kashmir, Punjab and the Upper Gangetic plains Its use is also reported in ancient Egypt and India, and later in Greece and Rome. A notable practice reported is its use as fumigant in incense burning in religious ceremonies in Egypt to spread "Holy Smoke". It was also used for embalming. Other countries where it is grown are Argentina, Egypt and Mediterranean region. Use of its seed as a spice, and its leaves and tender pods as vegetable were also reported. It was also used as cattle feed.

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