One day, I walked down stairs to see what looked like a large wild onion and a tree limb on the dinning room table. I asked Jessie, “What is that?” She told me “Rice helper.” That means it is something to go with the rice. Hmm, looks like a tree to me.
Food to Think About
I was thinking about taking it out and giving it to Juliet, my Philippine monkey. I don’t think she would have eaten it as she likes the most tender leaves and shoots. I sometimes give her a limb off a shrub in front of our porch. I just take the very tip, with the bright green shoot as that’s all she’ll eat but she will play with the rest of a limb and shred it.
I don’t really care for rice, I agree that rice needs all the help it can get. So I didn’t eat any of this. The name of this plant is malunggay. Is there anyone that knows more about this?
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Tagged with: Cebu • Filipino Cuisine • Philippines
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The Malunggay plant grows in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and other regions of Asia. It can grow up to fifteen feet tall and has small, tender muti leafed branches similar to a fern, but with more of a roundish or lobe leaf. The plant is edible and is sometime called the horseradish tree for the taste of its roots and its leaves taste like spinach but contains three times more iron. Because of its high concentration of nutrients and vitamins the plant is believed to have a number of medicinal-properties such as slowing the aginging process, promoting life extention and fighting cancer, among many others.
Also, I love your GF’s term “rice-help” after the US term “hamburger helper.” My wife has always used
the term “partner for the rice” in her reference
for something to go along with the meal!HA
Yeah I hear rice partner too. Jessie is unlikely to have any idea what Hamburger Helper is, unless they sell it here too. I don’t know, they might since its been around for so long.
Hey Rusty, Remember this is the Kamunggay that Christine did a post about when she first starting writing here. It is really good for you, but I’ve never heard of it referred to as “rice helper” You don’t eat the stems–you have to pick each one off individually. Great in so many dishes…
Maybe they put the leaves in the rice or something to go with the rice. As you know, most Filipino eat a lot of rice but have osme thing with it. I think rice helper is Jessie’s made up English phrase for it. Jessie even seemed to found it odd that I don’t have rice every time I eat.
I think rice partner is more commone phrase, might have even been what Jessie called it.
Next time I see a tree limb on the table I’ll pick off a few leaves.
rusty, if i remember right, the leaves are put in a coconut soup and its delicious. go on, try it.
maria
Maria, that sounds good depending on what is in it?
Does it have another name? My gf doesn’t know what coconut soup is.
u should eat that “malunggay”.they say it’s one of the best veggie in d Philippines.ask Jessie to make some “tinola” for u w/it.hmnn! yummy!
malungay leaves weight for weight contain more Vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas,” and that the protein quality of the leaves rivals that of milk and eggs.
I have cooked with this before. The leaves are actually very easy to peel off the plant. Take a whole mass of the them and stir fry in a pan for a short period and season just like spinach.
Also the last time I was in Manila one of the “Italian” restaurants I went to made a pesto out of these that was masarap!. All it had was the leaves, olive oil and some seasoning. Over the pasta and yummy.
I wouldn’t like it, i would hate it. Wish it was different. See the ladies gathering these most every day in the evening. Growing all around my house.
lol, Rusty wouldnt EAT anything that is GREEN. I tried making him eat some when and it was always an epic fail.
After the first time and I started gagging you didn’t try to much after that. Lately you seem to be though and after I say no once, it isn’t likely to change on the second “suggestion” haha
But you know better than most that i wish I was different. I wish I could eat it. I jsut can’t.
It is most commonly known in English as a Moringa tree. Comes from the lower slopes of Nepal. Used in many many poorer countries because it is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals normally missing from a poorer person diet. REALLY tough tree and will grow nearly anywhere , also a fair amount of interest in this tree for animal fodder.
Seeds are collected and dispersed by many “help groups” , church based groups etc as a way to help the poor.
It does grow just about any place. There is a concrete block wall running along the drive way to my home. I’ve seen our maid on top of it gathering it.
It is a pretty leaf and heavy for what it is. It has a nice silky texture when touched.