Yellow fields in Normandy
 

Could anyone identify the beautiful fields of yellow flowers we saw last spring driving through Normandy? We thought maybe it was mustard. Anyone know for sure? <BR> <BR>Rebecca

Probably Rape seed used for rape seed oil.

When it was in spring, it must have been rape seed. In the middle of summer the fields are covered with sunflowers.

Was on a business trip with 2 french colleagues from Clermont to Bourge one week. We passed quite a few of these fields. They very definitely identified it as rape. Now what is rape for? I haven't a clue!

Rapeseed oil is used much the way we use soybean oil or peanut oil in America. For cooking oil, paints, animal feed, margarine.

The mustard plant has hundreds of cultivars, rapeseed being one. In the US the most common one grown for its oil is canola. About seven years ago when visiting the Midwest I was amazed to see all the canola fields in vibrant bloom but on more recent trips I saw none. I guess the profits didn't pan out - can some farmers comment on why the production in the US dropped off? I noticed last May in lower Scotland that there were many rape fields -- quite beautiful from the air on a sunny day. Talk about yellow! Van Gogh would have been in 7th heaven. <BR> <BR>For those that have not seen the fields, try searching on google for something like 'pictures rapeseed fields'.

If anyone likes to see Mustard fields, come to Ontario,Canada. Most of the raw material for French Dijon Mustard are imported from Ontario.