Sowbane is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 60 cm high, possessing high frost resistance and yield. Leaves have an oblong, arrow-shaped form, green color, surface from smooth to slightly pitted, wavy edges. The plant is characterized by a weakly sour taste and can give high yields over five years under the condition of growing in protected ground.
From a nutritional point of view, sowbane is rich in proteins (up to 3%), carbohydrates (2.8%) and a multitude of vitamins: C, B1, B2, A, PP, as well as carotene. Its composition includes minerals – iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, as well as sowbane acids, which give a characteristic taste.
For culinary use, young leaves (until the beginning of flowering) are suitable for preparing soups, borscht, sauces and fillings. After preliminary frying, they can be pickled, candied, dried, frozen or canned as a puree. During the winter period, sowbane is preserved in jars as both fresh and frozen, which allows using it when preparing green borscht, sauces and salads even on cold days.
