Milk thistle's hard, dark-colored seeds are ground and used to make a tea or tincture, encapsulated, or added to foods. The whole seeds are also sometimes added to foods. The seeds have a slightly bitter, oily taste and a faint aroma. To use as a tea, crush the seeds for more thorough steeping. Use as you would flax, hemp or sesame seeds — sprinkle seeds on salads and add to cooked foods and smoothies. Our bulk whole milk thistle seed is kosher certifed and non-irradiated.

• Origin

  Bulgaria

• Botanical name

  Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.