Corchorus

Corchorus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae 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 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 melokhia (with many similar transliterations from the Arabic: ملوخية) applied to the leaves used as a vegetable.

They 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.

Names

The name "melokhia" is said to have come from the Arabic word malek (ملك). It is said that the Fatimids made the Corchorus an exclusive dish for themselves, and forbade anyone else to cook it. The word "melokhia" is very similar to "melokia", which means "royal".

Other names in English include Bush Okra, Nalta Jute, Jute Mallow, and Jew's Mallow.

In Japan the vegetable is known as moroheiya.

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

Young melokhia 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. Melokhia is eaten widely in Egypt; some consider it the Egyptian national dish. It features in the cuisines of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Jordan. One typical dish is a melokhia stew served over white rice and boiled chicken.

2007 September: Sizzler's, an American restaurant chain, is selling Molokhiya cookies (sweet biscuits) with molokhiya as the featured ingredient, at the Shinjuku location in Tokyo, Japan.

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.

References and 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.
• [1]
• 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).

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