DAY 24 (29 APR) – Rapeseed (brassica napus) (Hampshire, England)
Not only is the Hampshire countryside gorgeously rolling, it’s now covered with these joyous fields of rapeseed. No wonder the flowers are crawling with pollinating insects: their scent is an irresistible blend of honey, mustard and musk.
I’d no idea rapeseed had been around so long. It was among the first plants to be widely cultivated by mankind some 10,000 years ago. And it was grown in India as early as 4000 BC.
Cold-pressed rapeseed oil is now high fashion among celebrity chefs, and marketed as our national oil – grown by UK farmers. I’m a convert.
