Another Great Spinach To Enjoy Our Summers - Egyptian Spinach

Corchorus Olitorius, Egyptian Spinach is a popular summer crop in our region. It's been known as Molokhia/Molokheiya (and many other methods of spelling it) and salad mallow. Jute mallow, Jew's Mallow and West African sorrel to name but a few. It is believed that it been a staple food in Egypt prior to the time of Christ and was a staple food there since the days of the Pharaohs. Molokheiya, an Egyptian term meaning "vegetable for the king", is the Egyptian name for the soup. Wikipedia claims that a sick Egyptian King in the year 6000 BC requested hot soup and was healed through the consumption of hot soup on a daily basis. Cleopatra is also said to have enjoyed the same soup. Egyptian Spinach, along with its many close relatives can be found in Africa, India, and many other parts of Asia. It can be located in all subtropical and tropical regions of the globe.



It is grown in the form of an annual. It grows up to one meter in height. It has small yellow flowers and produces edible seeds that are shaped like pods. The edible leaves can be harvested continuously. It is very robust and rapidly growing. As a close relation to okra many of the same growing conditions apply, loves the heat, can handle dry and humid conditions (not the waterlogged) however, it isn't a fan of the shade.


Large Egyptian spinach plant growing up in the green lattice of the house


Do you want to grow some? It can thrive in any type of soil and doesn't mind pH. It prefers fertile soil that is damp. It is also able to thrive in pots. The preparation of the soil is normal. Then, you can plant the seeds directly to where they will flourish. Spring and autumn are the best seasons to plant. Egyptian spinach seeds sprout better if immersed in hot water prior to planting for at least few minutes, Isabel Shipard recommends soaking for at least 12 hours. Start picking leaves when the plant is around 40 cm tall. Seeds that mature on plant and fall to ground will be dormant in the soil until the conditions are perfect and will be the next year's crop. Egyptian spinach is largely non-infested and pest-free. The leaves are able to be shared by grasshoppers and caterpillars, however they are not likely to become affected by red spider mites. Seeds are available at present from BOGI seeds.



The leaf is rich in nutrients, minerals and افضل بذور برسيم protein. Younger leaves can be consumed raw in salads, on sandwiches and the older leaves dried or cooked. You can use leaves similarly to spinach. In Egypt the leaves are utilized in a soup made of garlic, coriander and meat, in other regions it is cooked into a stew using cassava, rice and chicken meat. The vegetable can be utilized in numerous ways. The leaves can be dried, and then ground to make a tea. Once the tea is prepared, it can be stored in a container for the next stews or soups. It is sold in Japan through health food stores as a nutritious and healthy tea. You can make use of young seed pods the same way as Okra.



Since the time of the Pharaohs, Egyptian spinach has been promoted for its health benefits. As a tea it will enhance your immune system. It is also said to be helpful for treating constipation, anaemia, cancer, cystitis, diabetes, fatigue, high blood pressure, menopausal symptoms, high cholesterol weight gain, respiratory ailments and water retention. Tea made from the leaves is believed to help in child birth and increase the production of milk for mothers. It can be used to treat sore eyes, rashes and cuts.



A variety of species belonging to the Corchorus genus are grown as a source of Jute since they have large, strong fibres that are found in their stalks. Over time, this jute was utilized to make a coarse yarn which was then made into ropes and a fine fabric for sacking. The tallest, unbranched stems were the best choice for this. Stems were then soaked for some time so that the plant matter could rot and the fibres easily removed. They were then washed, dried, and then sorted to use. In certain regions where this fibre is found, it can be used to create paper. Corchorus Olitorius, also referred to as Egyptian spinach, is best utilized to create jute. However, some of its relatives can be used for other purposes.