A name in Lombardy for borage, an herbaceous perennial plant with brilliant, star-like, blue flowers used in salads, drinks, soups and stews, chopped into cream cheese, mayonnaise or egg salad, but care must be taken to use only the smallest leaves and chop very finely, or the hairs will irritate. The leaves have a slight flavour of cucumber and can be cooked in the same way as spinach while the flowers can be used in fritters. It is sometimes used to flavour pastry dough.
