CHENNAI:Rosie and Peter, a couple from Goa, have started the Talinum Project to spread the word about this lesser-known, nutritious and delicious greens. Guess word, these are even easy to maintain and can even grow in the shade of the cities. A neglected talinum plant can be restored with a trim, some water and compost.
Talinum, also known as ‘Surinam Spinach’, can be grown through cuttings and is also a self-seeding plant. The seeds are not readily available in nurseries, but local gardening groups may have them. The more you pluck, the more it grows. You need to harvest it regularly to ensure tender shoots and leaves. “Some people may also be surprised to find out that they already have it growing in their pots or gardens because it is often mistaken for a weed!” says Rosie, who is an ardent believer of permaculture. Permaculture believes in following and even using natural ecosystems, more working with Nature than labouring against it.
Talinum grows in all kinds of soil types, but optimal would be a good loose soil with good moisture-holding capacity. Compost can be made from your own kitchen scraps or garden clippings. Vermicompost is also an option.
“The plant can cope with direct sun but also loves a little shade and hence can also be grown under trellises and trees,” says Rosie. The plant thrives in warm, tropical climates with moisture and nutrients, and goes dormant in hotter, drier weather. It is then great for growing in urban environments where sunlight is scarce, like under a trellis of short-term perennial Lablab or Winged Bean. The blog on permaculture lists suggested placements of the plant
as under food forest plants in moist locations; in a vegetable garden where it can even tumble over walls if needed and in regular pots.
“It is a very hardy plant that is resistant to pests and diseases and the best part is that it can be shared with chickens and cows!” she says. Rosie had even stuck cutting into a vegetable patch, along with lettuce, purple basil and coriander, and the greens caught on really quick, On their Talinum Project, Facebook page, she writes: “Our chickens, ducks and dogs love it... The kittens don’t know what they’re missing yet. They really need to get their taste buds around rodents before we turn them on to Talinum.”
Its companion plant is a wild food ‘weed’, Vietnamese Crab Claw, which can also be eateen. “We don’t believe in the word ‘weeds’ in the garden because most of them turn out to be useful and even edible or medicinal,” says Rosie.
The leaves, stem, flowers and roots can be cooked in stir frys, curries, soups and more, according to her. “It is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin E, Omega -3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, magnesium and the list could go on,” she says.
There is a warning though: Talinum is high in oxalic acid and is best not to consume it raw. Blanching and cooking reduces the oxalic acid. These greens are best avoided by those with kidney problems.