birdseed

The notion of birdseed comes from alpíšṭ, a word from Hispanic and Mozarabic Arabic that in turn comes from Latin pistum (passive participle of pinsĕre, which can be translated as "to crush"). Birdseed is called plant scientific name Phalaris canariensis Yet the seed of that species.

Canary grass is part of the family group of the grasses. It's about a cereal whose grains are used mainly for the bird feeding, although they also have other uses.

Canary grass is often used as bird food.

Birdseed characteristics

Canary grass is an annual herbaceous plant that can reach a height of up to one meter and is usually used as forage. It develops a panicle (a set of spikes) that presents spikelets with small seeds and three flowers.

That which is known as grain or seed canary seed is, technically, a fruit. It is covered by two shells, which qualifies it as a grain dress.

Canary seed crops take place in regions with a temperate climate. This vegetable is native to Mediterranean, although currently the main producer worldwide is Canada, followed by countries What Australia, Mexico, Thailand Y Argentina.

It is interesting to mention that the cultivation cycle of birdseed is similar to that of cereals such as oatmeal and the wheat. Productive practices, in this way, are similar.

Although it is usually used to feed birds, birdseed can also be consumed by humans.

Properties and uses of grains in gastronomy

Canary seed kernels contain oxalic acid, salicylic acid Y starch, among other components. Antioxidant, diuretic and lipid-lowering properties are attributed to it, thus helping to reduce the level of cholesterol, eliminate fat and slow down the aging of the skin, for example.

Consumption by the human being it is not very widespread. It can be used to prepare the drink known as canary seed milk, which is obtained by soaking the seeds for eight or more hours and then processing them with a certain amount of water.

With birdseed there is also a atole or atol. This type of drink requires boiling the beans in water and flavoring them with sugar, honey or aromatic spices.

Another possibility is to consume the raw seeds in soups Y salads. In addition, canary seed seeds can be included in cookies.

Birdseed for birds

The most frequent use of birdseed is as food for domestic or ornamental birds. A lots of birds they feed on birdseed, especially in combination with other seeds.

Take the case of canaries. There are people who have these animals like pets, locking them in cages, a practice that is often condemned by animal activists. Beyond this question, one of the best foods that canaries can be offered for their nutritional properties are canary seed.

The term in colloquial expressions

The word birdseed appears in several sentences of the colloquial language. These expressions depend on the region.

Leave one person Without birdseed, taking it away implies depriving it of its means of subsistence or sustenance. Staying birdseed, meanwhile, means ending up empty-handed.

On Argentinasomeone is told "Birdseed, you lost"> when he committed a error and cannot fix it. Suppose a man loses his phone where he stored hundreds of family photos. Since you had not backed up to another device or in a virtual environment, you may never be able to recover your material; Therefore, upon learning of the situation, a friend tells him: "Birdseed, you lost".