The History of Sunflower and its Trade
It is the only product which spread to all over the world from the USA and it is known that the plant was cultivated by Southern Native Americans in South-East regions in 3000 B.C.
In Peru, it was revered greatly and became a symbol in their temples.
Sunflowers have been cultivated and harvested by many cultures for more than 5.000 years. There are claims that it was first cultivated by Native Americans over 8.000 years ago.
Sunflowers seeds transferred to Europe after some first European visitors in America saw sun flower for the first time in their life, amazed at its beauty and benefits for cookery and health. But Europe did not use Sunflowers until the seeds were carried to Russia, China and Spain after many years. When the plant started to be consumed in European countries in the 18th century, it quickly became a popular source of food. The seeds were planted and crops were grown and harvested, yielding a rich supply of seeds for cooking and medicine.
In Peru, the flower was adored by Aztecs. In the Aztec temples of the Sun, the priestesses were crowned with sunflowers and carried them in their hands. The early Spanish conquerors found numerous pure gold representations of the sunflower in these temples.
During its long history, sunflowers have been used for several purposes. They've been used for a variety of purposes from cookery to medicinal. The early Native Americans harvested their sunflowers and used them for food and medicine. The seeds were used for baking and also to add thickness to various stews. Archeologists have found evidence that suggests Native Americans also used sunflowers to remove warts and to treat those who suffered from sunstroke.
Today, sunflower crops are grown in many countries throughout the world. Some cultures ground the sunflower seeds for use while making bread. Others harvest the seeds to be eaten as a nutritious snack. The seeds are also used as an ingredient in meals to add flavor and texture. And, of course, millions of people take great delight in planting sunflowers in their gardens.
Today, they're added to certain varnishes and paints due to their quick-drying quality. Sunflower oil is also added to sopas. In addition, the oil from sunflowers is being tested for use in plastics, lubricants and even pesticides. While sunflowers have enjoyed a long history of resourceful use, new applications continue to be discovered.
Argentina and Ukraine are the countries which grow the most sunflower and which produce the most raw sunflower oil in the world. These countries have started a study for training producers by organizing seminars and forums relating to improving the quality of technology and packaging in order to benefit the oil of sunflower and its pulp more and also to be able to produce row oil in standard quality.
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Sunflower photos
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