The plants around us. Volum III The plant around us. Volume III. Etwining project | Page 11

GASTRONOMIC USE
The bark and leaves are toxic, various
reports suggest that the seeds and the
young pods of the black locust are edible.
In Romania the flowers are sometimes
used to produce a sweet and perfumed
jam. This means manual harvesting of
flowers, eliminating the seeds and boiling
the petals with sugar, in certain
proportions, to obtain a light sweet and
delicate perfume jam
The bark, leaves, and wood are toxic to
both humans and livestock. Important
constituents of the plant are
the toxalbumin robin, which loses its
toxicity when heated, and robinin, a
nontoxic glucoside.
MEDICINAL USE
A beneficial infusion can be prepared with a
teaspoonful of black locust flowers and a cup
of water. Drinking this after meals helps to
alleviate burning in the stomach and is
helpful for people with gastritis.
Hot black locust tea helps in treating cough,
sore throat, bronchitis and asthma.
The blossoms of the black locust are known
for their diuretic, emollient and anti-
spasmodic properties. Some also consume
cooked flowers to relieve eye problems.