Edible leafy vine spinach

Published on: Sunday, March 20, 2022

By: Eskay Ong

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A single vine spinach growing well in a pot.

MANY in this world who are meat lovers are of the opinion that all animals, or at least, most of them, are edible. With plants, the narrative is quite different, as not all plants can be chewed up, and lesser still can be planted and swallowed.

There are varieties of plants which, although toxic, harmful and illegal, such as Cannabis spp. and kratom, can be allowed in certain countries especially in the western world.

Locally, these are complete no-nos unless the laws are amended to allow for medical uses that may benefit from the availability of psychoactive constituents or stimulant effects in the components of such plants.

For the varieties of plants that can be planted, harvested and consumed, the number that is available is actually quite mind-boggling because the majority of them can be used as items of food.

Seeds and fruits of vine spinach.

A young shoot is very tender. It can be easily chewed and swallowed.

The issues lie mainly in the palatability, toxicity, ease of digestion, odour and suitability to be ingested. Some plant parts are impossible to prepare bite-sized chunks such as tree bark or roots, while many other coarse stuffs may cause indigestion.

Discounting all the hard, coarse and chunky roughage, the plants that can be used to make good, tasty and edible dishes are still plentiful. A relaxing stroll inside a wet market or a cool supermarket should be able to convince anyone that plant-based edibles such as leafy vegetables, roots and fruit vegetables are still overflowing the shelves.

The choices are virtually limitless which should add more joy when hanging around such places to stump out some cash for the purpose of buying something edible.

A typical housewife or househusband would be most pleased to receive from her/his spouse bundles of green, leafy and crispy vegetables, bags of fruit vegetables such as tomatoes and chilli, and karungs of roots such as sweet potato, all for the kitchen.

Leafy vegetables comprise one of the most popular kitchen edibles in Sabah, of which a very tasty and appetising one is the leafy Vine Spinach. The plant is named as such for the simple reason that while the leafy portion appears to be like spinach, its stems and lateral shoots are capable of twining and climbing up structures in much the same way that many vines do. Hence its simple name of Vine Spinach.

Vine Spinach or Basella alba belongs to the family Basellaceae. There is another variety that has dark reddish purple stems right up to the petioles, and this variety is equally wonderful when used as an item of food.

Apart from the name of Vine Spinach, it also carries other common names such as Ceylon Spinach or Malabar Spinach. The plant is native to the Indian subcontinent right down to South East Asia and New Guinea. It is therefore most comfortable in the hot and humid conditions that are found in many tropical countries.

With a comparable weather condition, Sabah is therefore well suited to grow such a kind of spinach, and should be poised to rake in good returns as soon as the Covid-19 travel restrictions are scraped. Hopefully, all the backyard gardeners, community plot cultivators and other small and big timers are now ready to cash in to make up for the lost opportunities during the earlier two years.

Fast vine spinach = fast bucks

There are many gardening enthusiasts in Sabah who are truly enterprising in making a certain amount of business with their hobby. All hats off to these people who are able to shine through difficult times to put not only vegetables, but also prawns, sotong and lobsters on their table.

This is all the more praiseworthy when what many others see are only bleak days and dark clouds ahead. Syabas to the few who are truly successful and who might have upgraded their hobby to a full-fledged enterprise.

To start off with cultivating vine spinach, the task is surprisingly simple. The plant is a fast-growing perennial climber with succulent but crispy stems. From seeds, it takes only about a week or so to obtain ready-to-plant seedlings measuring 7-10 cm tall. After planting out, it may need another 4-6 weeks to collect the first harvest, which may then be sent to the kitchen, or else sold to neighbours or delivered to some vegetable stalls. If only the leaves and young shoots are taken, harvesting may continue for months.

Like all climbers, their twisting and twining capabilities can be considered to be quite aggressive, considering that it has no tendrils or hooks to help it anchor and pull itself up any structure. In fact, its entire central stem constitutes its main instrument with which to secure itself in favourable positions.

At the base of the plant, runners often sprout and spread around and these structures regularly set roots from where new plants are issued along the length of the runners. Mature plants are capable of attaining heights of five to eight metres while in prostrate positions, its length is usually much longer.

The leaves of vine spinachs are round to heart-shaped and they can be considered to be quite large for a succulent climber. Often, the leaves especially those at the lower levels, are measured at 12-15cm.

The surface of leaves are usually of a smooth, waxy and fine texture with the broadly netted venations clearly visible. A short petiole connects the leaf blade to the stem which helps to anchor firmly the appendage until the time it ages, turns yellow and drop off from the plant.

The flowers are produced and set in a spike with multiple flowers on each spike. From the flowers are formed round green fruits which turn black on maturity. Such fruits feel pulpy when squashed between the fingers where they release a dark purplish juice.

An entire spike with tens of mature fruits may be put between the teeth and ground into a juicy pulpy paste and then swallowed. This is then washed down with a cup of coffee or tea, just like how afternoon teas are enjoyed in the garden.

Common uses of vine spinach

It is well known that vine spinachs are usually served on the table and there are multiple culinary ways to create appetising dishes out of their simple leaves and stems. Every single part of the plant ranging from the top to the bottom may be used.

They can be served in either cooked or raw form with many health conscious folks preferring to consume them fresh from the garden in the same way that other vegetables such as salad, tomatoes or peperomia are eaten raw after washing.

With fresh green leaves, a stack of them comprising up to 15-20 pieces may be sliced diagonally in widths of 2cm. These are then placed neatly on plates with a few sauces, gravies and sambals lined up nearby.

When the bell is rung, all hands should be on the plates grabbing whatever they can and then dipping them into their favourite sauces or sambals and then stuffing them into their mouths. The platefuls of vine spinachs should be gone in seconds.

A single leaf measuring 13cm in length.

Stem cuttings may be eaten raw, cooked or used to start new plants.

Another way to serve the vegetable is to harvest the leaves, wash them thoroughly, and then dip them in scalding hot water in a quick blanching process that should not take longer than 5 seconds. This lightning process should ensure that the leaves do not turn too soft and mushy but with less of a mucilaginous texture.

And yet another way is to stir-fry the leaves and stems in a hot kuali with sizzling oil. While the leaves may be too large for small kualis, they are usually cut in halves or quarters to ease the frying process. Add in a handful of smashed and skinned garlic together with some ikan bilis or pulverised dried prawn, and the dish should be ready within 10-20 seconds.

Overcooking is discouraged as it may result in the dish becoming slightly gummy. For a more fiery flavour, the addition of a spoonful of sambal belacan or tabasco and a handful of chilli padi would result in a dish that is capable of setting tongues on fire.

For ornamental uses, vine spinachs are often grown as a screen plant over some existing fence structure. In other cases, they may also be grown into the shape of a cone with several stakes beneath for support.

Individual cones of about 2 metres in height and width of 60-90cm should appear to be a very neat setup, with plenty of leaves and stems that are available for regular harvesting.

In folk medicine, the entire plant is often used according to the practices of various communities or nationalities.

Very often, they are used to provide a good source of fibre for the digestive system as it is believed that the high fibre content is good for pushing out all kinds of trash from the digestive tract.

In some countries, the leaves and stems are boiled until the contents of the entire pot becomes converted into a mishmash of mucilage. The whole pot is then gulped down after it has cooled down, with the belief that it is good as a laxative as well as smoothening the process of bowel movement.