Basella alba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Basella alba | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Basellaceae |
| Genus: | Basella |
| Species: | B. alba |
| Binomial name | |
| Basella alba L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Basella rubra Roxburgh |
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Basella alba, or Malabar spinach is a perennial vine found in the tropics where it is widely used as a leaf vegetable.
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[edit] Names
- English: Malabar-, Malabar climbing-, Ceylon-, Indian-, East-Indian-, Surinam-, Chinese-, Vietnamese- or buffalo spinach (although it is not closely related to spinach), as well as Malabar nightshade or broad bologi.
- Bengali: Pui shak
- Konkani: Valchi bhaji
- Kannada: Basale soppu
- Telugu: Bachhali
- Tamil: Kodip pasaLi (கொடிப்பசளி)
- Marathi: Mayalu
- Filipino: Alugbati
- Vietnamese: Mồng tơi
- Other: Poi baagi, calaloo, alugbati
[edit] Description
Basella alba is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed vine, reaching 10 m in length. Its thick, semi-succulent, heart-shaped leaves have a mild flavour and mucilaginous texture. The stem of the cultivar Basella alba 'Rubra' is reddish-purple.
[edit] Soil and Climate Requirements
Basella alba grows well under full sunlight in hot, humid climates and in areas lower than 500 m above sea level. Growth is slow in low temperatures resulting in low yields. Flowering is induced during the short-day months of November to February. It grows best in sandy loam soils rich in organic matter with pH ranging from 5.5 to 8.0.
[edit] Food uses
Typical of leaf vegetables, Malabar spinach is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium. It is low in calories by volume, but high in protein per calorie. The succulent mucilage is a particularly rich source of soluble fiber, thought to remove mucus and toxins from the body. Among many other possibilities, Malabar spinach may be used to thicken soups or stir-fries with garlic and chili peppers.
The vegetable is used in Chinese cuisine. Its many names include flowing water vegetable.
In Vietnam, particularly the north, it is cooked with crab meat, luffa and jute to make soup.
In Maharashtra, India, it is used to make bhaji.
In Africa, the mucilaginous cooked shoots are most commonly used.[1]
Malabar spinach can be found at many Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/Indian grocery stores, as well as farmers markets.
[edit] References
- ^ Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Basella alba |
