| Corchorus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Corchorus olitorius | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Grewioideae |
|
About 40-100 species, including Corchorus olitorius, Corchorus capsularis, Corchorus erodiodes and Corchorus walcottii. | |
Different common names are used. Jute applies to the fiber produced from the plant, Mallow-leaves to the leaves used as a vegetable.
Corchorus used as food
Corchorus olitorius leaves are used as food in Southern Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Corchorus capsularis is used in cuisines in Japan and China. The cooked leaves have a somewhat slimy texture. Sometimes a herbal tea is made from the dried leaves.
The young leaves can also be used in salads or to thicken your soup.
The leaves of Corchorus are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and vitamin C.
The Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible mentions this vegetable potherb as "Jew's mallow". The leaves of Corchorus have been a staple Egyptian food since the time of the Pharaohs. Varieties of mallow-leaves stew with rice is a well known Middle Eastern cuisine.
Gallery
See also
External links
- Corchorus Wikipedia
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