Flax seeds are also known as Linseed and Common Flax seeds. They should not be confused with New Zealand Flax seeds, since these seeds come from a completely different plant - Phormium tenax - that is not even closely related to the Common flax. The Common flax is found in the genus Linum in the family Linaceae, while the New Zealand Flax belongs to the genus Phormium in the family Hemerocallidaceae. The scientific name for the Common flax is Linum usitatissimum.

Flax seeds have been appreciated by man since ancient times and it is hard to know for sure from which part of the world this species actually originate since it has been cultivated and spread to new regions by man for such a long time. It is however reasonable to believe that the plant is native to regions in south-eastern Europe and south-western Asia.

Flax has not only been appreciated for the flax seeds, it is also a very important fibre crop. Flax has been used to produce linen for at least 5000 years, and this makes it one of the oldest fibre crops in the world. Today, different parts of the flax plant are still used to create fabric, paper and fishing nets.

Flax seeds are edible and can be consumed directly or used to create flax seed oil. Sprouts from flax seeds are also tasty and have a somewhat spicy tang to them. A lot of people are today consuming flax seeds not only because it tastes well, but also because flax seeds contain a high amount of omega-3 alpha linolenic acid. Flax seeds are one of few alternatives for those who wish to ingest high amounts of omega-3 alpha linolenic acid without including fish or other forms of sea food in their diet. This has made the flax seeds especially popular among vegetarians and vegans as well as among people with food allergies. Some people also choose to refrain from consuming oily fish and fish oil since they are concerned about potentially high levels of heavy metal, e.g. mercury.

Flax seeds are not only appreciated for the high levels of omega-3 alpha linolenic acid; they are also packed with lignans and dietary fibres. There are two types of flax seeds: brown and yellow. Both types contain the same levels of omega-3 alpha linolenic acid. There is however a special type of yellow flak seeds known as Solin, and these seeds contain hardly any omega-3 alpha linolenic acid at all.

Flax seeds are often grounded before they are consumed; you can for instance use a coffee grinder or spice grinder to produce grinded flax seeds that will taste great in muesli or on its own when sprinkled on top of sour milk or yoghurt. Grinded flax seeds can also be included in nutritious shakes. Flax seeds, grounded, chopped or whole, are also great in salads since they add a nutty flavour. If you do not like the taste of flax seeds, you can purchase capsules made from flax seeds.

If you want to bake a cake without using egg as a binder, you can often substitute the egg in the recipe with grounded flax seeds. For each egg in the recipe, you can use a mix formed from three tablespoons of water and approximately one tablespoon of grounded flax seeds. Grounded flax seeds will bind the other ingredients together.

The oil produced from flax seeds have not only been traditionally used for human consumption. Oil made from flax seeds is a highly versatile oil that have been utilized to produce anything from soap and medicines to dye and drying oil for varnishing and painting. When used for painting and varnishing, the oil has typically been solvent-processed. Flax seeds oil is also known as linseed oil.

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