Do you know anything about the Moringa tree? I'd never heard about it before, but apparently its leaves are super nutritious. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, that's why Professor George Crosby wants to introduce Moringa leaves into the diets of those in the poorest, most malnourished places on earth.
The trouble is, the leaves taste awful. No one wants to eat them, at least not whole and raw. Professor Crosby's been experimenting, and he found that making a powder from the leaves and adding that to rice or something is the most palatable way to eat the leaves.
The Moringa is also incredibly rugged. It's native to India, Africa, and the Red Sea region and it grows in most tropical regions, but it's drought resistant: in dry times the tree just sheds all its leaves and hibernates until there's water again. It's also apparently impossible to kill. These attributes could make it a big part of ending malnutrition. Professor Crosby, and others, just have to get out there and teach people how to use the Moringa leaves properly.
After the jump, check out all the nutrients that are in Moringa leaves.
Moringa nutrients
100 grams of dry Moringa leaves contain:
-- 29 grams protein
-- 8 grams fat
-- 38 grams carbohydrates
-- 10 grams fiber
-- 1924 milligrams calcium
-- 1384 milligrams potassium
-- 267 milligrams phosphorous
-- 28 milligrams iron
-- 1 milligrams copper
-- 15,620 international units vitamin A
-- 120 milligrams vitamin B
-- 773 milligrams vitamin C
Source: Melanie Broin, Moringanews network
Second Helping of Slashfood - June 19
Competitive-Eating Contest to Pit Humans Against Elephants
The Backyard Boom - The Hungry Bride
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-02-2008 @ 8:40PM
cydeweyz said...
People in Haiti are eating dirt cookies. Introduce this tree immediately. I'm sure it tastes better than dirt.
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 9:14PM
Chrissy said...
After watching many episodes of "Bizarre Foods", I am somehow inclined to believe that many nations could find something to do with this to make it palatable. I mean come on, other countries eat organ meats, bugs, stinky (read: spoiled) tofu and DURIAN with no qualms. Surely some leaves would be child's play.
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 9:52PM
Karsh said...
They should try preparing these Moringa leaves like mustard greens or collard greens. Throw a hamhock or something in there and I'm sure they'd taste better.
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 10:06PM
Alex Falk said...
I have found that adding citrus (lemon/lime juice) to bitter greens makes them much more palatable.
@ Chrissy: I have a local market that has Durian, but for the life of me, I cannot tell why people think the smell is offensive. I need to buy one one of these days.
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 10:19PM
stephen said...
Im pretty sure if they had ham hocks on hand they wouldn't be malnourished
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 10:37PM
moonablaze said...
there are tons to foods you wouldn't eat whole and raw!!! would you eat whole raw potatoes? how about chicken? english peas in the pod? any grain?
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 10:39PM
Rt said...
I have heard of these before. I think the leaves are for cattle and the seed pods are for humans. What do I know?
Here is a link for some basic info.
http://www.answers.com/topic/moringa-oleifera
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 10:48PM
AS said...
The moringa leaves have been a staple in Indian cooking for ages. I remember as a kid being forced to eat a lentil preparation with the leaves..the bitterness was tempered with tamarind. I guess they really knew what they were doing in the olden times. The tree has fruit which resembles long sticks around a foot long which is also edible and used in India, mainly in the South.
Reply
7-02-2008 @ 11:03PM
Rt said...
Wow, moonafire, easy. I have eaten raw potatos (me and people who want us to obey spelling rules don't get along) and they aren't bad at all (fried is best, wait - maybe au grautin, or is it baked).
I can't speak for peas (english or otherwise) but I have heard second-hand testimony that corn and peas are both excellent eaten fresh (meaning raw). It is claimed the 'sweetness' is what does the trick.
Shoot, I am not close to the dirt any more and it my loss. When knowledgeable people do the harvesting the produce is usually tasty (your taste not withstanding).
Reply
7-03-2008 @ 1:14AM
Skip said...
Seriously Folks::
If we ate because we are hungry. We would eat these leaves... And, probably thank some Diety for the priviledge...
Remember the man in the ancient past... So desperate that he broke open an oyster and scarfed it down to stay alive...
SKIP
Reply
7-03-2008 @ 2:04AM
SKIP said...
The American Way::
1 Chop and compress the leaves into a patty.
2 Drench them with beaten egg.
3 Dredge them with a mixture of flour, salt, pepper, and sugar.
4 Fry the patties in Pig Fat at 450 degrees.
5 Charge 99 cents at the drive thru window.
6 Tell customers its Healthy Food.
SKIP
Reply
7-03-2008 @ 12:27PM
Ynna said...
in my country (Philippines) its called Malunggay Leaves....we usually put it in chicken soup....just simmer chicken in ginger, onions, garlic and lemon grass then add sliced Chayote (Sayote) or potatoes then just add Malunggay leaves at the end...it's REALLY GOOD....the dish is called Chicken Tinola by the way...
Reply
7-05-2008 @ 3:13AM
Gretchen said...
I ate moringa leaves, and propogated the trees while working in Africa for two years. The leaves, as locally prepared, as actually quite tasty. Usually we ate them as a sauce, seasoned with MSG broth cubes, over a steamed, ground corn or millet. In many cases, moringa is the only source of good nutrition that people get, especially during the rainy season. The trees grow really easily, the seeds can be used to make oil, the bark for ropes, and the timber for firewood. No wonder it's called the "Miracle Tree".
Reply
9-21-2008 @ 9:10PM
Guyon said...
While speaking with my son (NYC), on my way to the local Asian market, he suggested that I pick up some Dandelion.
There wasn't any dandelion, but while following my bliss I stumbled upon the Moringa leaves or possibly they found me.
Are they bitter? Ooooh yesss, but remember "bitter is better" than salty, sweet or sour any day or at any hour...
Reply