sativa
Lettuce is a vegetable which has been cultivated for thousands of years, and is believed to be derived from a wild lettuce indigenous to Western Asia. In China, lettuce has been grown for more than a thousand years. One particular variety (stem or asparagus lettuce) is grown for its thick edible stem. It is sometimes pickled and canned, a somewhat surprising concept to those accustomed to lettuce as a salad vegetable.
Two varieties of lettuce are found in tropical Asian markets. When the vegetable is grown in the lowlands, it has long loose leaves with frilled edges, and does not form a tight round head like the common iceberg variety. Loose-leaf lettuce (often termed "local lettuce") lacks the crispness and flavour of the round variety. It is often used as a garnish or else added, both leaves and sliced stem s, to soups in most of Southeast Asia.
The round or "head" lettuce found in temperate climates is grown in highland areas of tropical Asia.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum coronarium
Botanical Family:
Compositae
Thai name:
Phaktang-o
Malay name:
Tungho
Indonesian name:
Tungho
Filipino name:
Tunghao
Everyone is familiar with the brightly coloured chrysanthemum flowers, native to Europe and north Asia, but not many are aware that the leaves of a certain variety of chrysanthemum are edible. Do not be tempted, however, to cook the leaves of the next bunch of chrysanthemums you buy from the florist; they may technically be edible, but they certainly won 't be nice.
In tropical Asia, the tender leaves of a particu ar variety known as the garland chrysanthemum are eaten mainly by the Chinese, who add small amounts to soup or sometimes cook them as any other leafy green vegetable. They seem to be particularly popular in the hot pot or fondue known in Malaysia and Singapore as "steamboat".
The leaves can also be dipped in batter and deep fried (a popular Japanese treatment). Perhaps because of its pungent smell, the garland chrysanthemum is not widely eaten, although it is rich in vitamins A and B.
Botanical Family:
Araceae
Thai name:
Phueak.
Malay name:
Keladi, talas
Indonesian name:
Keladi
Filipino name:
Gabi
Taro
Colocasia esculenta
The taro, also known as cocoyam or dasheen, is sometimes confused with the yam. To add to the confusion, sweet potatoes are often referred to as yams in the USA. Taro is superior in flavour and texture to the yam, which is more popular in the Pacific than in tropical Asia. The starchy paste known as poi eaten in Hawaii and other parts of the Pacific is made from taro.
There are some 200 varieties of taro, which is sometimes referred to as "the potato of the tropics", although sweet potatoes could also make this claim. The pinkish-white fleshed taro, recognised by the ring of colour at the base of the stem, probably has the best flavour and texture.
The bulging starchy corms can be roasted, fried, boiled and mashed to form croquettes or grated to form a taro "basket" (a Cantonese restaurant favourite). The young leaves can be cooked in the same way as any other leafy green. Taro corms contain calcium oxalate crystals, so must always be boiled to destroy these.
Botanical Family:
Convolvulaceae
Thai name:
Man thet
Malay name:
Ubi keledek
Indonesian name:
Ubi manis, ubi jalar
Filipino name:
Kamote
Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
The root tubers of this tropical American native are very popular in many parts of Southeast Asia, and as the plant grows easily, it is often planted in home gardens. Both the young leaves and the tubers can be eaten, the former simmered in soups, stir fried or stewed, the tubers cooked in a variety of ways.
There are several different shapes, sizes and colours of sweet potato. A purple-fleshed variety is particularly popular in the Philippines. Malaysians and Indonesians generally prefer the b right yellow or orange-fleshed sweet potato to that with white flesh; interestingly, the former has a higher content of vitamin A.
Although peeled chunks of sweet potato are often cooked in coconut milk with leafy greens, the flesh is also boiled and mashed to make a number of savoury snacks. Diced sweet potato is also used in desserts, particularly with sweetened coconut milk; cubes of yam, slices of banana and sago balls are often added to the concoction.
Water Convolvulus
Ipomoea aquatica
Botanical Family:
Convolvulaceae
Thai name:
Phak bung
Malay name:
Kangkung
Indonesian name:
Kangkung
Filipino name:
Kangkung
There seem to be more English names for this leafy green than almost any other tropical vegetable:
water convolvulus, water morning glory, water spinach and swamp cabbage being the most common. It usually thrives in marshy ground, although one variety is grown in normal seed beds like other
