Monday, March 14, 2011

Water Spinach, Ipomoea aquatica

Water Spinach 
 Ipomoea aquatica

I first ate this Asian green as a side dish in a Bangkok restaurant. It was stir-fried with garlic, chilli, red shallots and dried shrimp and had the most amazing lurid green colour on the plate. In Thailand it is known as pak boong and in other parts of Asia as kangkung. It is an easy summer green to grow and does not need to be grown in water as the name suggests but is happy in rich moist soil in sun. As it is perennial, plants will survive over winter though it is better to sow fresh seed in spring and start afresh with a new crop. It forms a mass of creeping stems covered in spear shaped leaves. The stems which are hollow, curl when cut making for a decorative garnish. White flowers similar to convolvulus appear in late autumn.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting! I have not seen this green in any wet market here.

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