Linen

One crop produces both textile fiber and food seeds. For the kitchen, choose food-grade flax with clear processing and instructions on the packaging.

Oilseed and fibrous forms belong to the same species, but differ in appearance and selection objectives.

Whole seeds, grinds and oil are not interchangeable in a recipe: they give a different texture to the dish.

History

Two directions of selection

Long-term selection divided the crop into tall, weakly branching flax for fiber and lower branching oilseed forms.

Ancient plant, different purposes

The history of flax can be traced back thousands of years, being used for textiles, oil and food. Modern food seeds cannot be replaced with technical raw materials.

Regions and differences

Documented growing regions

The map shows examples and important areas, not all countries or global market shares. Coordinates are approximate. The origin and characteristics of our batch are confirmed separately.

Saskatchewan, Canada

One of the main provinces of Canadian oilseed flax.

Selection takes into account yield, ripening time and oil properties.

For the kitchen, check the nutritional purpose of the product.

Manitoba, Canada

Other documented western Canadian areas. Alberta is another documented Western Canadian region.

Prairie flax primarily belongs to the oilseed category.

The country name does not replace processing information.

North Dakota, USA

OSU highlights these states in American seed production. Montana also excels in American seed production.

Seed production should be distinguished from the cultivation of fiber flax.

Check the category of food raw materials.

Pendleton, Oregon - varietal experiments, USA

The comparison of varieties was carried out in 2022–2024.

Differences in rainfall between years altered the yield markedly; Variety and region names alone are not enough.

Compare batches from the same harvest season.

• Russia
• Kazakhstan
• China
• India
• Ethiopia

Types and processing

Whole seeds

Retains smooth seed coat.

Baked goods with a noticeable grainy texture.

Ground seeds

The grind is easier to distribute in the dough; a small amount can be crushed before cooking.

Bread, crackers and other cooked foods.

Brown and gold

Natural color forms of seeds.

Choose based on recipe and specification, not on the promise of benefits of one color.

Drying this product

How to choose

• Buy edible seeds, not planting material.
• Follow package directions for boiling or baking.
• Keep ground stock covered and cool.

In the catalog

• Flax seeds