Viscous Vegetables

Egyptian Spinach

Egyptian Spinach is an annual plant that grows 35 to 47 inches (90 to 120 cm) tall. The leaves will be leaves 2 1/3 to 4 inches (6 to 10 cm) long and 1 1/3 to 2 inches (3 1/2 to 5 cm) wide. The plant blooms with very small pale yellow flowers that are…

Leeks

Leeks © Paula Trites Leeks look like green onions, except that they are far thicker and somewhat taller with a more pronounced onion flavour. The leaves are far more solid and robust than green onion leaves. In fact, while green onion tops can be eaten raw, mature Leek tops need to be cut up and…

Malabar Spinach

Malabar Spinach has a mild taste similar to spinach; thus, its name. The plant is perennial, but it can’t survive frost. Nor, though, will it bolt in the heat, as regular spinach does. It grows as though it were a vine, up to 6 to 14 feet (almost 2 to 4 metres) long. It has…

Mallow

Mallow is a perennial plant that grows from 4 to 6 feet tall, with a spread of about 2 feet. (1.2 to 2 metres tall, spread of 600 cm.) It grows best in marshy, damp soil, and propagates through its roots. There are several different Mallow plants. Some are grown primarily as ornamentals in gardens….

Molokhia

Molokhia is a potherb used in the Middle East, particularly Egypt. It is a tall, leafy plant that grows up to 3 feet (1 metre) tall. The leaf can be used fresh in salads, or cooked with, or dried for storage. In the Middle East it is mostly used in soups; in India, it is…

Purslane

Purslane is an annual plant that can be treated as a pot herb. More usually, though, it is treated as an annoying weed. The plant grows from 15 to 50 cm (6 to 20 inches) high, depending on the variety. The smaller one grows very close to the ground, spreading out along it. The plant…

Sago Palm

Sago Palms grow in southern Pacific countries. They are farmed as a source of starch. A piece of land planted with Sago palms can produce four times more edible starch than if the land had been used for rice. The trees can grow almost anywhere, even in swamps. The starch is in the trunks. The…

Slippery Jack Mushrooms

Slippery Jack Mushrooms are wild mushrooms that grow in symbiotic relationship with pine and spruce trees. They grow from mid-summer to early autumn. The caps are saffron coloured or yellowish-brown, though they can be a dark chestnut brown. As the mushroom ages, the cap flattens. The cap can be anywhere from 2 to 5 inches…

Snow Mushrooms

In the wild, Snow Mushrooms grow on dead branches, but in Asia they are also cultivated.With their ruffled edges, they look more like a white flower than a fungus, and they certainly don’t look like a mushroom. They grow in two colours, white and buff. Both varieties are identical aside from the colour. They produce…