I keep hearing how you should "drink papaya leaves" when you have this or that ailment. Drink papaya leaves? I can't imagine how. Just how do you "drink" papaya leaves? How do you gulp down your throat those big green leaves?
Papaya leaves are considered medicinal herbs and plants in the Philippines and Asia. Rural folks in the Philippines make natural teas from them primarily as a herbal relief from stomach problems like indigestion, dyspepsia, and acid reflux among others. So, how do you "drink" papaya leaves and get the stomach health benefits and other healing goodness?
Make a Tea
Brewed tea is often the best way. Some old folks in the Philippines dry the leaves under the sun, crush the leaves afterwards, boil them in water, and there they have brewed tea of papaya leaves. Some are braver and simply boil fresh papaya leaves in water, saying you get more health benefits that way.
There are a few I have heard who simply soak the leaves overnight in water and drink that. I would recommend boiling them first, fresh or dried leaves, because the leaves are exposed to the elements and simply washing them and soaking them in water may not be safe.
Wonder Papain
The secret is all in the phytochemical called Papain. And among its wonders are relief for prostate problems (imagine that?), normalizing blood sugar, reducing tumor size, deworming, anti-infection, and even relief for slip discs. Lately, many claim it's a cure for dengue fever, but experts say it remains to be seen.
You may find ready-made papaya tea in tea bags sold commercially (they're doing that today with almost every kind of leaves), and that's convenient. But be careful with what preservatives they may come in with. So it's much better to make your own papaya tea. And remember to boil them when asked how do you drink papaya leaves--and you don't drink the leaves. You make a tea of them.
Funny sounding herb name, but it's a super one. Kulakteng is the young, fresh sprout of the ampalaya (bitter gourd or bitter melon) plant. Ordinary ampalaya leaves are good for health--and even for your blood sugar level--but its fresh, young sprout is even better, said old folks. They told us young people to eat kulakteng for vigor.
You may mix kulakteng with sauteed mongo beans, or simply sautee it in garlic, onions, and soy. It definitely tastes more bitter than ordinary amplaya leaves, and that's where the power of this Philippine herb comes from, old folks said. The more bitter, the better.
Bitter herbs are especially good for tummy or digestion troubles. If you have a weak stomach, kulakteng for vigor is the answer. Eat it once or twice a week. It's easy to cook and ready available in any Philippine wet market. Better yet, plant one. It's easy to grow. My borther-in-law has one in his plant box and he's been eating kulakteng leaves fresh, straight from it.
My grandma used it as herbal treatment for asthma, particularly to flush out phlegm from the lungs. When my cousins were young, she would get fresh kulakteng from our backyard, crash it, squeeze the juice out, and made my poor kid cousins drink the squeezed nectar. Of course, that made them vomit phlegm. What little kulakteng juice managed to slip into their systems made their bodies stronger to fight colds and coughs.
I was never made to drink the awful concoction by my Lola when I was a kid, but I tried it one day. Man, it was super bitter! Then I understood its power. Today, I like eating kulakteng and ordinary ampalaya leaves in sauteed mongo beans. It made you stronger, especially in times you lacked sleep. It's recommended for people with blood problems. Oh, and eat the soft tentacles as well.
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.
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 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.
