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| Malabar spinach | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Basellaceae |
| Genus: | Basella |
| Species: | B. alba |
| Binomial name | |
| Basella alba | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Basella alba is an edibleperennialvine in thefamilyBasellaceae. It is found in tropical Asia and Africa where it is widely used as aleaf vegetable. It is native to theIndian subcontinent,Southeast Asia andNew Guinea. It is naturalized in China, tropical Africa, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, theWest Indies,Fiji andFrench Polynesia.[1]
Basella alba is known bycommon names includingMalabar spinach,vine spinach,Ceylon spinach andIndian spinach.[2][3]
Basella alba is a fast-growing, soft-stemmedvine, reaching 10 metres (33 ft) in length.[4] Its thick, semi-succulent, heart-shaped leaves have a mild flavour andmucilaginous texture.[5] There are two varieties—green and red. The stem of theBasella alba is green with green leaves and the stem of the cultivarBasella alba 'Rubra' is reddish-purple; the leaves form green and as the plant reaches maturity, older leaves will develop a purple pigment starting at the base of the leaf and work towards the end. The stem when crushed usually emits a strong scent. Malabar spinach can be found at manyAsian supermarkets, as well asfarmers' markets.
Basella alba grows well under full sunlight in hot, humid climates, and in areas lower than 500 metres (1,600 ft) above sea level. If grown in acceptable conditions, its peak-season growth can accelerate remarkably. Growth is slower in cooler temperatures; its growth will not be vigorous if daytime temperatures fall at or below 10–15 °C (50–59 °F), resulting in low yields. Given its natural ancestry of the Indian subcontinent, Malabar spinach is a true tropical plant, and has a natural preference for daytime temperatures between 21–32 °C (70–90 °F). It will even display remarkable growth around 37 °C (99 °F), though care must be taken to avoid sunburn with higher temperatures, by providing shade cloth, screening, or umbrella cover in summer.[6] Flowering is induced during the short-day months of the year. It grows best in well-drained and loamy soils, that are rich in organic matter, withpH ranging from 5.5 to 7.0, but can tolerate slightly lower or higher if adjustments cannot be made.[6]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 79 kJ (19 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.4 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.3 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.8 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 93 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[7] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation fromthe National Academies.[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The edible leaves are 93% water, 3%carbohydrates, 2%protein, and contain negligiblefat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, the leaves supply 19calories of food energy, and are a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value) ofvitamins A andC,[3]folate, andmanganese, with moderate levels ofB vitamins and severaldietary minerals (table).
In Sri Lanka, it is used to make different kinds of curries specially withdal. In the Philippines, the leaves of this vegetable are one of the main ingredients in an all vegetable dish calledutan served over rice. It is usually cooked with sardines, onions, garlic, and parsley. InMangaloreanTuluva cuisine, a coconut based gravy called gassi is paired withBasella alba, making a delicacy called Basale gassi to be eaten with rice dumplings called pundi soaked overnight in the gravy, or with red rice. Some variations have tiny prawns, clams, horsegram or dried fish in the gravy. InKongu Nadu cuisine, it ispureed and used as a curry with rice.
InBengali cuisine, it is widely used both in a vegetable dish, cooked with red pumpkin, and in non-vegetarian dishes, cooked with the bones of theIlish fish and may also be cooked withl shrimp. InOdia cuisine, it is cooked with mustard paste to make "poi saaga rai". InAndhra Pradesh, a southern state in India, a curry ofBasella alba and yam is made. InGujarat, fresh big and tender leaves are washed, dipped in besan mix and deep-fried to make crispy pakodas called "poi na bhajia".
The vegetable is used inChinese cuisine. It has many names including flowing water vegetable. It is often used in stir-frys and soups. InVietnam, where it is calledmồng tơi, it is cooked with shrimp, crab meat,luffa andjute to make soup. In Africa, the mucilaginous cooked shoots are most commonly used.[9]
Historically, the red variety ofBasella alba has also been used to make reddye in China.[10] This dye was used as a cosmetic and to make coloredsealing wax.[11]
The stems will last a week in the refrigerator. They should be placed in water if not refrigerated to preserve their freshness.[11]
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