It's easy to get your fill of flax these days
If you thought cereal, soap and paper had nothing in common, then you haven't had a chance to talk with 89-year-old North Dakotan Jack Carter.
He's the outgoing president of the Fargo, N.D.-based Flax Institute of the United States, whose scientists and academics are concerned with all things flax.
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Flaxseed has a range of uses, from being the basis for linseed oil, used in paint and soaps, to being a good source of cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.
The New Food Lover's Companion describes flax seed as having a mild, nutty flavor.
"For several thousand years now, [flax seed] has been used as a food crop," Carter says. "The stem can be used for linen or a very fine paper and in [some parts of] Africa, it's used as a porridge."
Now the nutty flax, whose plant produces the signature purple flowers that grace the North Dakota farmland each June and July, seems to have gone "mainstream," one expert says.
Walk into your Jewel, Dominick's or Trader Joe's, and you'll find flax in breads, chips and even yogurt.
"I think now it's starting to hit mainstream manufacturers and I think that's driving the popularity," says Clifford Hall, an assistant professor in the Cereal and Food Sciences Department at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
North Dakota and its cool springs produce more than 90 percent of the flaxseed in this country, Hall says.
The seed's health benefits include a high fiber content, which is good for the plumbing (though too much might have an uber-laxative effect).
And, research suggests, certain chemicals called lignans in flaxseed might aid in fighting cancers of the breast and colon.
For those who get their hands on whole yellow or brown flax seed at health food stores, be sure to grind it to take advantage of its nutritional offerings.
"Otherwise, it will pass right through you," Hall says.
Curious about an unusual edible or kitchen tool? Want to share some mysteries in your own cabinets? E-mail the Food Detective at ldonovan@suntimes.com.