Friday, August 15, 2014

BASELLA ALBA


(A variety of Basella alba with deep red and purple stems in the Philippines.)

Basella alba is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. It is found in tropical Asia and Africa where it is widely used as a leaf vegetable. It is known under various common names, including Puivine spinachred vine spinachclimbing spinachcreeping spinachbuffalo spinachmalabar spinach and ceylon spinach among others


Basella alba is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed vine, reaching 10 metres (33 ft) 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.



Basella alba grows well under full sunlight in hot, humid climates and in areas lower than 500 metres (1,600 ft) above sea level. The plant is native to tropical Asia. 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.


Typical of leaf vegetables, Malabar spinach is high in vitamin Avitamin Ciron, 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. Among many other possibilities, Malabar spinach may be used to thicken soups or stir-fries with garlic and chili peppers.
In the Philippines the leaves of this vegetable is one of the main ingredients in an all vegetable dish called utan that is served over rice.





special thanks to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba

2 comments: