I have tried to grow a garden in
Salinas of Santa Elena in Ecuador
recently. It never occurred to me that it would be that difficult. The
temperature is perfect for growing things, around 25 degree Celsius and I water
them everyday. However, the ground is extremely salty, as the house sits ocean
front. In addition, Salinas,
meaning saltworks in Spanish, has been farming salt for many years, thus making
it even more salty than other ocean front places.
However, there is one weed that grows
extremely well. Even though I plug out some everyday, I just cannot keep up with
their growth.
Now I am back in Canada,
spending too much time on the internet. I came across some articles regarding
edible weeds.
Voila, the weed
that bothered me so much is called purslane (Verdolaga in Spanish,
Portulaca
oleracea in Latin) and packed with nutrition. So next time I am in my
house in Salinas, instead of trying to eliminate them, I will just eat
the weed.
Nutrients and medicinal properties:
1. Purslane contains more omega 3 fatty
acids (in the form of alpha-linolenic acid) than any other leafy plant.
2. The
two types of betalain alkaloid
pigments, the reddish betacyanins (visible in the coloration of the
stems) and
the yellow betananthins (noticeable in the flowers and the slight
yellowish
tint of the leaves), have been found to have antimutagenic properties in
laboratory studies (a good review of natural antimutagenes can be found
here).
3. It is a good source of vitamins and
dietary minerals, especially vitamin A, C, E and magnesium, calcium, potassium
and iron.
4. Could be a good candidate for
anti-aging research, as it contains dopamine and DOPA. Betacyanins isolated
from Purslane improved cognition in aged mice.
Harvesting:
The last inch or two of the leafy stem will
be the most tender. When stressed by drought, which is where they are in my
garden under normal circumstance, purslane switches to a different
photosynthesis pathway: the leaves trap carbon dioxide at night and convert
them into malic acid (the sour taste of the apple). Under the sun, malic acid
is converted into glucose. So when you harvest early in the morning, the leaves
are significantly more tangy than harvest in the late afternoon, which have
more glucose.
How to eat purslane?
1. Add them in salads
2. Stir fry them with chicken, pork or
shrimp
3.Use them as garnish in ceviche
4. Cook them in a soup
I cannot wait to try them.
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