Traditional Green Vegetables: The Plants

Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), balanbal (Somali), bwere-mlungu, (Giriama).  A prostrate, spreading, herbaceous perennial belonging to the family Convolvulaceae originating from Eurasia and loosely related to sweet potato.  The stems are hallow, fleshy green, the leaves are triangular and heart-shaped, the flowers are tubular and white to purple and the seeds are large with a hairy exterior.  This plant only grows in wetlands and is able to grow across water as the hallow stems float and the roots do well under waterlogged conditions.  In Kenya it grows  in the Lake Basin and along the coast.  The plant is easily grown from stem cuttings and seeds are occasional marketed.  The cuttings are rooted and then transplanted into wetlands, stream banks, pond walls or poorly drained areas, it grows very rapidly and the leaves and young shoots may be harvested regularly throughout the year.  The leaves and young stems are eaten as a green vegetable and cooking requires only a few minutes.  The leaves contain 3% protein and are high in vitamin B.  This vegetable is very popular in China, where it is known as ong choi (literally translated as “hollow vegetable”).