Flax gives two crops from one plant: linseed, the oily seed Hindi kitchens call alsi, and linen, woven from the stem fibre. In India it is grown mostly for seed in winter in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. Punjabi homes make alsi pinni in winter, and Maharashtra grinds the roasted seed, called jawas, into a dry garlic chutney. Linseed oil also goes into paints and varnish.
- Botanical name
- Linum usitatissimum L.
- Family
- Linaceae
- Tamil
- Ali virai
- Hindi
- Alsi
- Sanskrit
- Atasī
- Parts used
- Seed, Fibre
- Habit
- Flax; the seed is cuisine, the fibre is cloth, raw seed is not a binge
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Flax
It is a slender annual with a single thin stem, usually knee- to waist-high, and narrow, pointed, grey-green leaves.
The sky-blue flowers have five petals that open in the morning and drop by midday.
The fruit is a round capsule the size of a pea that holds up to ten seeds.
The seeds are flat, oval and glossy brown or golden, and turn slippery when wet because of a mucilage coat.
Sesame seed is smaller, paler and teardrop-shaped, and the plant has white, tube-shaped flowers.
Traditional use of Flax
Kitchen
Roasted, ground seed is cooked with wheat flour, jaggery and ghee into alsi pinni, a Punjabi winter sweet.
Punjabi food practice
Kitchen
Jawas chutney, roasted flaxseed ground with garlic, chilli and salt, is eaten with bhakri in Maharashtra.
Marathi food practice
Fibre
Stems are soaked to rot the soft tissue, then beaten and combed to free the long fibres spun into linen.
European textile practice
Modern notes on Flax
The seed is about forty per cent oil, rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a plant omega-3 fat.
It is the richest common food source of lignans, plant compounds studied for effects on hormones and heart health.
Ground seed supplies soluble fibre that can modestly lower cholesterol and ease constipation.
Whole seeds often pass through undigested, so they are usually ground before eating.
Flax safety
Eat flaxseed with plenty of water, since it swells and can block the gut if swallowed dry in large amounts. Rags soaked in linseed oil can catch fire on their own as the oil dries, so spread them flat or soak them in water before disposal.
Ecology and sourcing
It was domesticated in the Near East from a wild pale flax and is one of the oldest fibre crops.
Linen fibres found in Georgia have been dated to around thirty thousand years ago, though those may be from wild flax.
The short-lived flowers are visited by bees and hoverflies.
Related plants
Questions about Flax
Is linseed the same as flaxseed?
Yes. They are two names for the same seed.
Should I eat Flax whole or ground?
Ground, since whole seed often passes through undigested.
What is jawas?
The Marathi name for flaxseed, used in dry chutney.
Why do the flowers vanish by noon?
Each flower lasts only a few hours and drops its petals.
How should I store ground flaxseed?
In a closed jar in the fridge, since the oil turns rancid quickly.
Sources
- Linum usitatissimum L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q45108 (Linum usitatissimum)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.