A super food few folks pay attention to.
Did you know this so-easily grown deep green leafy veggie is super rich in vitamins and minerals and has anti-cancer properties? To top it all, it's so easy to plant. Plant a length of the mature stem and water daily. Within a week or less it starts to bud. Pretty soon, you have a bountiful harvest--with all the nutritional benefits intact. I wonder why a lot of folks still don't plant kamote, even in pots or makeshift garden plots.
Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash.
Just look at the health benefits:
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- B-Carotene
- B6
- Thiamine
- Niacin
- Zinc
- Riboflavin
- Iron
- Folic Acid
- Calcium
- Protein
It also has anti-diabetes properties, helps improve heart health, has antioxidants, anti-mutagenic properties (helps prevent deadly mutation of cells that lead to cancer), it's an anticoagulant (helps in blood clotting), anti-bacterial, and improves eyesight and bone health. There's no reason why you won't have a cupful each day.
We Played with Local Herbs
I remember playing with local herbs. They were our first "toys" when we were kids. In our plays (bahay-bahayan) we used them as food we "cooked" in our makeshift stoves and pots over make-believe flames. Well, sometimes we used live fire when we were in the backyard. Don't worry, we were trained safe fire handling when we were boy scouts. We also used local herbs as make-believe beef, pork, and fish. We would shape them into fish, chicken drumsticks, and steaks.
The common leaf we played with was the native kamote tops (Ipomoea Batatas). Sometimes, we also used kamoteng kahoy or cassava (Manihot Esculenta) leaves which are naturally shaped like a human hand with fingers. We would cut a "finger," and that served as small "fish." Actually, fresh young buds of the kamoteng kahoy are edible (literal) and some Pinoys sauteed that in garlic and onions for a healthy and tasty veggie meal.
I remember playing with local herbs. They were our first "toys" when we were kids. In our plays (bahay-bahayan) we used them as food we "cooked" in our makeshift stoves and pots over make-believe flames. Well, sometimes we used live fire when we were in the backyard. Don't worry, we were trained safe fire handling when we were boy scouts. We also used local herbs as make-believe beef, pork, and fish. We would shape them into fish, chicken drumsticks, and steaks.
The common leaf we played with was the native kamote tops (Ipomoea Batatas). Sometimes, we also used kamoteng kahoy or cassava (Manihot Esculenta) leaves which are naturally shaped like a human hand with fingers. We would cut a "finger," and that served as small "fish." Actually, fresh young buds of the kamoteng kahoy are edible (literal) and some Pinoys sauteed that in garlic and onions for a healthy and tasty veggie meal.
I love camote tops or "talbos ng kamote" with a portion of the stem near the leaves. The stem is crunchy and rich in fibers when cooked, like when you boil it. Stem and leaf are good when slightly boiled or steamed and spiced with "bagoong" or preserved fish or shrimp. Partner with ripe tomatoes and you have a simple but perfect meal right there. And yes, "talbos ng kamote" is one of my favorite leafy vegetables.
Kamote Tops
Both kamoteng baging (sweet potato) and kamoteng kahoy (literally cassava wood) are root crops. The difference is that kamoteng baging (the root crop from kamote tops) are smaller and round, sweeter, and smoother in texture. The plant is a spreading vine and can climb wooden ladders or simply left on the ground to spread. Both are rich in vitamins and minerals. Kamoteng baging (baging means vine) is hiddden shallower in the ground and easier to harvest. They're easy to grow and need minimal care.
Kamote tops or talbos ng kamote is cooked by either simmering or steaming. I prefer steaming. You may also mix it in with souped food dishes. I like boiling the leaves and stems and then drinking the brew as tea--good health tea, in fact--and reportedly helps cure a lot of diseases. Hence, many in the Philippines consider it an all-cure herbal remedy. They say it's good for anemics. It is also supposed to normalize platelet counts, but more studies are needed.
Kamoteng Kahoy
Kamoteng kahoy is a short, slim, and upright tree with lots of nudges on its body. Its leaves are similar to papaya leaves, only smaller and darker green. To plant, cut a foot-long portion of the tree and bury in the ground. Water until the sprouts are tall enough. It needs minimal care. To harvest the root crop, you need to dig deep around it first, careful not to accidentally cut the roots short. Sometimes they swell bigger than an adult human leg, weighing several pounds.
The mature leaves are not edible. New and young sprouts on the top, however, are harvested and cooked. The first time I tasted it was an adventure. I never imagined cassava leaves could be eaten, cooked in coconut milk.