Callaloo: A Nutritious Weed
Posted in Interesting Plant Stories on November 6, 2013 by Ina Vandebroek
Dr. Ina Vandebroek is an ethnomedical research specialist at The New York Botanical Garden‘s Institute of Economic Botany. As part of her research, she is studying the use of Jamaican plants for food and medicine.
Callaloo is one of the most popular green leafy vegetables in Jamaica. The young leaves of this (semi-)domesticated species are chopped and steamed with onions, scallions and salt to make the popular dish of the same name. Amaranthus viridis is commonly known as garden callaloo in Jamaica, but other species include Amaranthus dubius (Spanish callaloo) and Amaranthus spinosus.
Jamaicans living in New York City continue their cultural tradition of cultivating callaloo in community gardens and even sell the leaves at farmer’s markets. Amaranthus viridis, possibly of Asian origin, is a cosmopolitan weed that has penetrated far into temperate regions. In the United States it is known as slender amaranth and is found growing wild in many states, including New York.
I became interested in callaloo during a field trip to rural Jamaica, where I saw how people grew the species in their home gardens and heard them praise its culinary qualities. One of the major goals of the work I do—ethnobotanical research—is to identify the most important plant species that people have traditionally used to supplement local livelihoods and sustain human health, so we can preserve and promote this cultural heritage and help efforts to conserve locally important plant species.
