Despite its name, water spinach is not really spinach, nor is it related to spinach. It’s also not part of the brassica family, so it’s also unrelated to kale and its bitter leafy green ilk. Its English names include water or swamp spinach; sometimes it’s referred to as Chinese water spinach, or ong choy in Cantonese.
Is water spinach the same as morning glory?
Water spinach, also known as morning glory, swamp cabbage, or water convolvulus, is a versatile vegetable used in almost every Asian cuisine. Water spinach is in the same genus as sweet potato, and a member of the morning glory family.
What is morning glory called in Thai?
Pad Pak Boong Fai Daeng, or stir-fried morning glory, is one of the tastiest dishes you can eat in Thailand. Also known as water spinach, this delicious vegetable is much-loved in Thai cuisine for its tender shoots and leaves that take on Thai flavors beautifully. Morning glory is the ideal stir-fry vegetable.
What is morning glory made of?
In Thailand, it’s known as Pak Boong. Morning glory is a vegetable that has hollow, extremely tender shoots. The stems grow to be 2-3m tall and are topped by leaves which resemble typical spinach leaves. If you haven’t had morning glory before, spinach is probably the closest western comparison.
What is water spinach good for?
Health Benefits Water spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients that benefit your body as well as your skin and brain. It contains abundant quantities of water, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A and other nutrients and can be eaten cooked or raw. It is mostly used in salads as well as other dishes to boost their nutrient content.
Can you eat water spinach stalks?
You can eat both the leaves and stems. Surprisingly, even the hollow stems are quite tender. Just trim away the lower 1-2 inches of the stalk, which can be a little fibrous. If you see very young and tender water spinach in the market, just give it a quick rinse.
Why is water spinach banned?
In America, water spinach is considered an aquatic nuisance species and is therefore highly regulated a.k.a. pests. The country has also seen frequent cases of food poisoning, hence the strict prohibition of its circulation.
What is Chinese water spinach called?
Water spinach, known as ong choy in Cantonese or kōngxīn cài (空心菜) in Mandarin, is a hollow-stemmed leafy green vegetable native to Asia. Here’s how to prepare it. by: Everyone. Course:Vegetables.
Is watercress kangkong?
This plant is known in English as water spinach, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names Chinese spinach, Chinese watercress, Chinese convolvulus or swamp cabbage, or kangkong/kangkung in Southeast Asia and ong choy in Cantonese.
What is Tao JIEW?
“Tao Jiew” is the Thai version of miso. It’s fermented soybean paste that is salty with a touch of acidity, and it goes incredibly well with fish! We also add loads of ginger which is a flavour match made in heaven with fish as well.
What can you use instead of water spinach?
If you don’t have kangkong then you can use equal amounts of:
- Fresh spinach. This will work steamed, stir-fried, or sauteed. The texture will be different.
- OR – Use fresh sweet potato leaves (camote tops). You can read about using these leaves as an edible green here.
Is morning glory same as kangkong?
How do you cook spinach in a stir fry pan?
Once the oil is hot, toss red chili and garlic in the pan. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add water spinach to the pan, followed by the cooking sauce. Stir fry for about 40 seconds to a minute, until the vegetable is wilted and covered evenly by the sauce.
How to cook fresh water spinach with sauce?
Heat oil over high heat and toss red chili and garlic in the pan for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add water spinach to the pan with the cooking sauce. Stir quickly for up to one minute, until the leaves are wilted and evenly coated with the sauce.
How do you make spinach and oyster sauce?
Put the chopped water spinach in the pan and stir for about 2 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add the oyster sauce, followed by the fermented soybean paste. Continue to stir to mix all the ingredients until the water spinach turns bright green and more wilted, about 2 minutes.
Where to eat water spinach in Thailand?
Arguably the most common and popular water spinach dish among Thais, stir-fried water spinach can be found at pretty much every restaurant and dtam sang (made to order) vendor and rice soup place (ran khao tom | ร้านข้าวต้ม).
