Okinawan Spinach

A friend gave me a cutting of Okinawan Spinach.

Yay, new vegetable to try planting. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynura_bicolor
Gynura bicolor, hongfeng cai 紅鳳菜, okinawan spinach or edible gynura, is a member of the chrysanthemum family (Asteraceae). It is native to China, Thailand, and Myanmar but grown in many other places as a vegetable and as a medicinal herb.

Since most of the leaves needed to be removed for the rooting, I made a salad. This was a 'Global' Salad with Okinawan Spinach, Mexican Asparagus, Malaysian cucumber and cherry tomatoes, Argentinian blue berries and NZ salad dressing!

In future, if I grow this vegetable successfully, I will stir fry it with sesame oil and ginger.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynura_bicolor
According to Chinese food grouping, Gynura bicolor is a 'cool' food, so the leaves are stir-fried with sesame oil and ginger (both 'hotter' foods) to achieve a balance.

After making the salad, the stem is long enough to be cut into two for rooting in water. Hopefully, the roots will grow soon so that I can plant the stems into soil.

New plant, new knowledge. There are lots to learn about this vegetable.
It is touted to lower cholesterol .. young leaves taste better .. full sun .. watch out for aphids/mealy bugs.
http://hihort.blogspot.sg/2013/04/okinawan-spinach-gynura-bicolor.html
https://hedonisiahawaii.com/edible-plants/agricultural-tourism-okinawa-spinach/
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Okinawa_Spinach_13760.php

Salad with Okinawan Spinach.

The cutting.

Cut into two for rooting.

Holding up the cuttings from total immersion in water. Less chances of rotting?

Comments

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