'Silver lining': Albania's medicinal herbs bloom during the pandemic

Farm workers picking medicinal herb Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower, in the village of Sheqeras near the city of Korca. Photo: AFP

Scents of sage, lavender and cornflowers rise from the meadows of Albania, which has seen soaring overseas demand for medicinal herbs since the coronavirus pandemic.

In Sheqeras, at the foot of the Mali i Thate mountain in Albania's south, it is the season for cornflowers, a plant traditionally valued for its ability to boost metabolism and resistance to infections.