Fenugreek (/ˈfɛnjʊɡriːk/; Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets.

[10] The English name derives via Middle French fenugrec from Latin faenugraecum, faenum Graecum meaning "Greek hay".

Peasants in Upper Egypt add fenugreek seeds and maize to their pita bread to produce aish merahrah, a staple of their diet.

[19] The word for fenugreek in Amharic is abesh (or abish), and the seed is used in Ethiopia as a natural herbal medicine in the treatment of diabetes.

[19] Yemenite Jews following the interpretation of Rabbi Shelomo Yitzchak (Rashi) believe fenugreek, which they call hilbah, hilbeh, hilba, helba, or halba "חילבה", to be the Talmudic rubia.

[citation needed] When the seed kernels are ground and mixed with water, they greatly expand; hot spices, turmeric, and lemon juice are added to produce a frothy relish eaten with a sop.

[20] In Yemen, a small amount of oud al hilba (عود الحلبة), which appears to be the same as ashwagandha, is traditionally added to ground fenugreek seeds before they are mixed with water to prepare the hulbah paste.

In a 100-gram reference amount, fenugreek seeds provide 1,350 kilojoules (323 kcal) of food energy and contain 9% water, 58% carbohydrates, 23% protein, and 6% fat.

[24] As of 2023, no high-quality evidence has been found for whether fenugreek is safe and effective in relieving dysmenorrhea[4][25] or improving lactation during breastfeeding.

[26] Studies of fenugreek are characterized as having variable, poor experimental design and quality, including small numbers of subjects, failure to describe methods, inconsistency and duration of dosing, and not recording adverse effects.

[4][5] Although once a folk remedy for an insufficient milk supply when nursing, no good evidence indicates that fenugreek is effective or safe for this use,[4][5][26] nor is it useful in traditional practices for treating dysmenorrhea, inflammation, diabetes, or any human disorder.

[3][4] Fenugreek seeds can cause diarrhea, dyspepsia, abdominal distention, flatulence, and perspiration, and impart a maple-like smell to sweat, urine, or breast milk.