Traditional Green Vegetables: The Plants

Jute (Corchorus olitorius), mlenda (Swahili), murere (Luhya), chikosho (Kamba), namale (Turkana), omotere (Kisii), vombo (Giriama), ntereryan (Tugen), otigo winyo (Acholi), mutere (Lusoga).  An erect woody herb growing up to 2.5 meters high belonging to the family Tiliaceae and originally from Asia but now naturalized in Africa and Tropical America.  The elongate leaves reach 15 cm long with serrated margins and are eaten as a cooked green.  The raw leaves contain 5% protein and 12% carbohydrates and are high in vitamins B and C.  Jute is usually combined with other greens such as spider plant or crotolaria as it is somewhat slimy when prepared on its own.  Jute seldom grows above 1500 meters above sea level.  It is planted from seed in rows and is usually harvested by cutting branches and combining them into “bunches”.  This method of harvest stimulates the production of more branches.  Jute is also used in Asia to make a coarse fibre  and the bark and root have medicinal properties.