Corchorus

Corchorus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Grewioideae[1] Genus: Corchorus L.
Species
About 40-100 species, including: Corchorus aestuans Corchorus capsularis Corchorus carnarvonensis Corchorus cunninghamii Corchorus erodiodes Corchorus junodi Corchorus olitorius Corchorus sidoides Corchorus tridens Corchorus walcottii

Corchorus is a genus plant of about 40-100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Different common names are used in different contexts, with jute applying to the fibre produced from the plant, and Mallow-Leaves Mulukhiyah (with many similar transliterations from Arabic: ملوخية‎) applied to the leaves used as a vegetable. The leaves from the Corchorus plant has been a staple Egyptian food since the time of the Pharaohs and it is from there that it gains its recognition and popularity. Varieties of Mallow-leaves stew with rice is a well known Middle-eastern cuisine.

Corchorus aestuans in Hyderabad, India.^{[citation needed]}

The plants are tall, usually annual herbs, reaching a height of 2-4 m, unbranched or with only a few side branches. The leaves are alternate, simple, lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, with an acuminate tip and a finely serrated or lobed margin. The flowers are small (2-3 cm diameter) and yellow, with five petals; the fruit is a many-seeded capsule. It thrives almost anywhere, and can be grown year-round.

The genus Oceanopapaver, previously of uncertain placement, has recently been synonymized under Corchorus. The name was established by Guillaumin in 1932 for the single species Oceanopapaver neocaledonicum Guillaumin from New Caledonia. The genus has been classified in a number of different families including Capparaceae, Cistaceae, Papaveraceae, and Tiliaceae. The putative family name "Oceanopapaveraceae" has occasionally appeared in print and on the web but is a nomen nudum and has never been validly published nor recognised by any system of plant taxonomy.

History

Names

Other names in English include Mallow Leaves, Jute Mallow, and Jew's Mallow. In Japan the vegetable is known as moroheiya, a borrowing from the original Egyptian Arabic malukhiyah. Called saluyot in Ilocano, it is a popular leafy vegetable in the Ilocos region of the Philippines.

Uses

Fiber

See main article at jute The plants of Corchorus genus satisfy the world with great amounts of fiber needs. The fibers from these plants are the most widely cultivated vegetable fiber after cotton.

Food

Corchorus aestuans in Hyderabad, India.

Young malukhiyah leaves are used as a green leaf vegetable; Corchorus olitorius is used mainly in southern Asia, Egypt and Cyprus, Corchorus capsularis in Japan and China. It has a mucilaginous (somewhat "slimy") texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The seeds are used as a flavouring, and a herbal tea is made from the dried leaves. Malukhiyah is eaten widely in Egypt and some consider it the Egyptian national dish. It features in the cuisines of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Tunisia. The basic recipe for Egyptian malukhiyah stew is to place 400 grams of finely chopped fresh or frozen mallow leaves in two cups of chicken stock and cook over a low fire. In the meantime prepare the molokhia spice mix by frying a tablespoon of ground dried coriander and three cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of oil in a separate pan until golden brown. Right before the malukhiyah and the stock start boiling, place the spice mix in the mixture and immediately remove from the fire. It is very important not to allow the malukhiyah to boil as it coagulates and becomes inedible. The resulting malukhiyah dish is served with white rice and chicken. It can also be consumed as a soup.

In Nigerian cuisine, especially amongst the Yorubas, it is commonly used in a stew known as ewedu, a condiment to other starch-based foods such as amala.

In rural villages of the West Bank, many families grow their own "Mallow Leaves." Here is a picture of the plant taken in Bi"lim: [1]. It constitutes a significant constituent of their diet, thickening dishes and contributing vitamins, especially A.

The leaves are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and Vitamin C. The plant has an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent Vitamin E.

Gallery

Corchorus aestuans in Hyderabad, India.

Corchorus aestuans in Hyderabad, India.

References

External links

• Turkish-Cypriot Cuisine: Molohiya
• Malvaceae.info page on Corchorus
• The Golden, Copper, and Silver Fibers Contains information and images about some plants of Corchorus & Hibiscus genus.
• Molokheya: An Egyptian National dish contains culinary and historical information.
• [2]
• Whitlock, B. A., K. G. Karol, and W. S. Alverson. 2003. Chloroplast DNA Sequences Confirm the Placement of the Enigmatic Oceanopapaver within Corchorus (Grewioideae: Malvaceae s.l., Formerly Tiliaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 164: 35–41 (abstract here).
• طريقة عمل الملوخية بالأرانب
• طريقة إعداد ملوخية ملوكية على الطريقة الشامية
• طريقة عمل الملوخية بالدجاج المحمر

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