Morning Glory (Water Spinach) 200g
Thai Name: Pak Boon Thai
Morning Glory is very popular in the South East and Eastern regions of Asia where it is used as a vegetable in cooking. In the U.S it has been placed as Federal Noxious Weed and it is illegal to grow it. It is however not illegal to consume it and Morning Glory can be found in most Asian markets.
In Thailand there is a dish called pak pad bung fai daeng which can be cooked as a vegetarian dish with ingredients such as morning glory, garlic cloves and bird's eyes chilies. The fai daeng refers to the flames that leap out of the pan when you throw in the vegetables. Fai daeng means red flame. The plant is cultivated in frost free areas and they are treated as perennial plants although there are some species that can grow in colder climates.
Morning Glory is a plant that grows very quickly and it has a great tolerance for dry often poor soils. Other versions of the plants can be used as a shade in the summer by letting them grow like a vine on the side of your house. The plant is also well known for its medicinal properties and was used in China to ease constipation due to its laxative qualities. The flower of the plant was used as an ornament in Japan.
Morning Glory has many varieties and there are names such as moonflower, heavenly blue and sunspots for the plant. The cypress vine is a hybrid and its parent is the cardinal climber. The plant is popular to grown in Thailand given the fact that it grows quick and when eaten it adds a distinct taste to the food. The dish pak pad bung fai daeng can be found in most restaurants and it is certainly worth a try to enjoy the distinct taste.
Fresh produce from Thailand.
