The Spruce Eats: What Is Flaxseed? Hi, I thought you might like this article from The Spruce Eats: What Is Flaxseed? Linnea Covington has been writing about food for over a decade. From farmers’ markets to award-winning restaurants, if the eats prove good, she’s there, often trailed by her flaxseed muffins young boys.

Simply put, flaxseeds are the seed of the flax plant. This plant has a long history both in the textile and food worlds. You may better know flax fabric by its common name, linen. Oil derived from the plant is called linseed oil, a type of vegetable oil that can be incorporated into cuisine as well. The first known uses for flaxseed starts in Mediterranean and is found all the way to India, where the flax plant got cultivated for oils and fiber. The ancient Egyptians used it to make cloth and wrap mummies and the flaxseed oil helped preserve food.

Then later the colonists picked it up and grew the plant in their home gardens. It’s one of the oldest crops we know about. Sprinkling the ingredient on your meal proves the easiest thing to do with flaxseed. Have a bowl of yogurt with fruit? Enhance each bite with a powerful seed.

How about some roasted broccoli with olive oil and preserved lemon? Let the crunch of the flaxseed add a new texture. Aside from throwing a handful on top of a dish, flaxseeds also work great ground into food. Once it’s in this form bake your flaxseeds into bread, swirl into oatmeal or add it into your meatballs.

The flavor of flaxseed isn’t as prominent as the texture, but you will get a nutty essence with both the golden and brown seeds. The brown tend to have more of a toasty aspect to them, while the yellow prove a wee bit sweeter. Any health food store like Sprouts, Whole Foods or Natural Grocers will definitely be stocking whole flaxseed on the shelf, and possibly ground flaxseed as well. Keep in mind, ground flaxseed has a short shelf life, so pay attention to when it expires. Sometimes you can even find the whole seeds at big box stores like Costco or Sam’s Club. Of the three ways to keep flaxseed-oil, four and whole-the full seed proves the most shelf stable and can sit out at room temperature without issue.