Little-known outside its country of origin, blue fenugreek, or utshko suneli, is indispensable to Georgian cuisine. Among other things, it is used in traditional blends such as khmeli suneli and Svanetian salt, alongside coriander and marigold petals. Its fragrance is milder that that of regular fenugreek.
Blue fenugreek owes its name to the colour of its flowers. The small seeds are dried in their casings and once ground, are used in several dishes. They are especially popular in stews and soups, in vegetable dishes or poultry and even in nut-based sauces.
Blue fenugreek leaves are also prized in some parts of Switzerland and are essential to the making of a cheese called Schabziegerkle. They can also sometimes be found in certain regional rye bread recipes from the southern Alps.