The large, bright sunflower is not just a decorative plant painted by artists such as Van Gogh; it's also
a source of food for livestock and people.
What is it? A plant native to North and South America, it's now cultivated in many other places. The flowers are grown primarily for their fruit - known as the 'seed' to everybody except botanists - which comes encased in a hard, indigestible husk.
How is it available? For culinary purposes, sunflower seeds are sold both in their shells and out, roasted and raw, salted and plain. The husked seeds are ground into sunflower-seed butter, milled into flour and pressed for oil. They can also be sprouted and eaten as a vegetable. Husked seeds can be covered in chocolate then a hard, colourful coating (similar to M&Ms or Smarties) and eaten as confectionery.
What else? Most people think of sunflowers as being yellow but they come in other colours too. The seeds are considered a health food (although not the salted or chocolate-covered types) because they contain a high amount of protein and fibre and are a good source of certain minerals and vitamins. They're also an antioxidant. The seeds have a high fat content (and therefore a lot of calories) so they go rancid quickly, especially once they've been husked and ground. For long storage, it's best to put sunflower products in the fridge or freezer.
How to use: as you would other seeds and nuts - in biscuits, cakes, confectionery, granola (see recipe, left), muffins and breads. If you need sunflower flour but can't find it at the supermarket, grind the husked seeds in a food processor with some plain flour to absorb the excess oil. A small amount of sunflower flour can be substituted for plain flour to boost the protein and fibre content in baked goods. Sunflower butter can be whisked into soups and sauces to enrich and thicken them.
