Friday, May 22, 2009

Purslane

Portulaca oleracea, or also known as Common Purslane, Pigweed, and Little Hogweed. Something new I learn today, purslane is edible and has medicinal substance.

Although purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all good to eat. Purslane can be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked like spinach, and because of its mucilaginous quality it is also suitable for soups and stews. Australian Aborigines used to use the seeds to make seedcakes.
100 grams of fresh purslane leaves (about 1 cup) contain 300 to 400 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. One cup of cooked leaves contains 90 mg of calcium, 561 mg of potassium, and more than 2,000 IUs of vitamin A.

In Greek popular medicine, purslane is used as a remedy for constipation and inflammation of the urinary system








Purslane comes from India, where it was a food crop centuries ago. It was Gandhi's favorite food.

Purslane Recipes from Wildman:

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