There is a story associated with this green; the kedive (king) of Egypt loved it so much that was all he ever ate; it is told that he would forbid his subjects from enjoying it. One time he was swimming in the Nile and he never came back.
This plant was named after him and is extremely popular in Lebanon. Taken from our kitchen garden in the mountain, ready to be harvested. (it can be frozen in plastic bags).
Source for the story: Dr. Samir Tabet
12 Comments
Mulukhiyah, mloukhiya, molokhia, mulukhiyya or malukhiyah take your pick.
Joumana, how do you prepare it, a simple saute, or in a salad raw?
Where did he go…?
Do you know what the actual scientific name is in case we wanted to find some at a plant store to grow our own?
What does it taste like??? You have the most amazing plants.
Yeah, what’s the connection between the mloukiyyeh and the river? Where did the king go?
I have been trying to find mouloukhieh seeds to grow in my garden, to no avail so far.
Any ideas Joumana?
love these trivia questions, looks a bit like mloukhia (I second Emile) but I usually see this plant stacked on its side at the souk and not in lush patches.
I have no idea…
It is like a Tulsi plant, I’m not sure but I read a lot about it from http://organicindia.mercola.com/tulsi-tea.aspx and it looks like it? What does it do? Can it be eaten or can I make it as a shake too? How many months will it take to harvest it?
What does it taste like? It kind of looks like Thai Basil, but without the purple stem.
V
@A Canadian Foodie: It has a mild taste, which may be the reason why it is strongly flavored in Lebanon with fresh and powdered cilantro and also garlic; my friend Phoebe who is Egyptian only uses garlic, briefly fried in olive oil to flavor her broth. The mouloukhieh leaves are dipped in chicken broth (or meat broth), which adds more flavor as well. Unlike nettle, the leaves are soft and larger; my grandmother would spread them on a cotton sheet over her large queen-size bed and dry them all day, then pile them up and very carefully shred them in extremely thin shreds; nowadays, using a food processor is an acceptable alternative!