Milk Thistle Seed

Milk Thistle Seeds are the small, hard, glossy brown-black seeds of Silybum marianum. They taste slightly bitter with an earthy, nutty finish, nearer to a sunflower seed left a little too long in the pan than to anything sweet.

The plant itself carries distinctive purple flowers and white-marbled leaves, and is grown ornamentally in gardens and decorative arrangements as well as for its seed. The seeds are known for their silymarin content and remain a cornerstone of traditional herbal practice.

How to use it

Brew them into a herbal tea for a rich, earthy infusion, infuse them into oils as a flavourful addition to dressings, or grind them into smoothies, baked goods and other dishes. Technique tip: crack or grind the seeds before brewing, since the seed coat is hard enough that a tea made from intact seeds tastes of almost nothing.

Details

Also known as

Milk Thistle, Blessed Thistle, Lady's Thistle, St. Mary's Thistle, Marian Thistle, Mediterranean Milk Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Variegated Thistle, Holy Thistle, Our Lady's Thistle, Cardus Marianus, Silymarin Seeds