Basella alba

Basella alba is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed vine, reaching {{convert|10|m}} in length.{{cite web|url= https://www.fgcu.edu/cas/communityimpact/foodforest/files/MalabarSpinach-ADA.pdf|date=2015|author=Benjamin Dion|publisher=Florida Gulf Coast University|accessdate=13 October 2022|title=Malabar spinach plant database}} Its thick, semi-succulent, heart-shaped leaves have a mild flavour and mucilaginous texture.{{cite web |title=Malabar spinach - A succulent summer green |url=https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/latest/gardening/malabar-spinach-a-succulent-summer-green |website=Sustainable Food Center |date=8 May 2015 |access-date=23 April 2022}} There are two varieties—green and red. The stem of the Basella alba is green with green leaves and the stem of the cultivar Basella alba 'Rubra' is reddish-purple; the leaves form green and as the plant reaches maturity, older leaves will develop a purple pigment starting at the base of the leaf and work towards the end. The stem when crushed usually emits a strong scent. Malabar spinach can be found at many Asian supermarkets, as well as farmers' markets.

Basella alba grows well under full sunlight in hot, humid climates, and in areas lower than {{Convert|500|m}} above sea level. If grown in acceptable conditions, its peak-season growth can accelerate remarkably. Growth is slower in cooler temperatures; its growth will not be vigorous if daytime temperatures fall at or below {{Convert|10-15|C}}, resulting in low yields. Given its natural ancestry of the Indian subcontinent, Malabar spinach is a true tropical plant, and has a natural preference for daytime temperatures between {{Convert|21-32|C}}. It will even display remarkable growth around {{Convert|37|C}}, though care must be taken to avoid sunburn with higher temperatures, by providing shade cloth, screening, or umbrella cover in summer.{{cite web |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1371 |title=Florida Cultivation Guide for Malabar Spinach |location=Gainesville, Fl. |publisher=Horticultural Sciences Dept.; UF/IFAS Extensions |date=8 September 2020 |author=Yuheng Qiu, Guodong Liu |access-date=13 October 2022}} Flowering is induced during the short-day months of the year. It grows best in well-drained and loamy soils, that are rich in organic matter, with pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.0, but can tolerate slightly lower or higher if adjustments cannot be made.

{{Nutritional value | name=Vinespinach, (basella), raw

| kJ=79

| water=93 g

| protein=1.8 g

| fat=0.3 g

| carbs=3.4 g

| calcium_mg=109

| iron_mg=1.2

| magnesium_mg=65

| phosphorus_mg=52

| potassium_mg=510

| zinc_mg=0.43

| manganese_mg=0.735

| vitC_mg=102

| thiamin_mg=0.05

| riboflavin_mg=0.155

| niacin_mg=0.5

| vitB6_mg=0.24

| folate_ug=140

| vitA_ug=400

| source_usda = 1

| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170474/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]

}}

The edible leaves are 93% water, 3% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, the leaves supply 19 calories of food energy, and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value) of vitamins A and C, folate, and manganese, with moderate levels of B vitamins and several dietary minerals (table).

In Sri Lanka, it is used to make different kinds of curries, especially with dal. In the Philippines, the leaves of this vegetable are one of the main ingredients in an all vegetable dish called utan served over rice. It is usually cooked with sardines, onions, garlic, and parsley. In Mangalorean Tuluva cuisine, a coconut based gravy called gassi is paired with Basella alba, making a delicacy called Basale gassi to be eaten with rice dumplings called pundi soaked overnight in the gravy, or with red rice. Some variations have tiny prawns, clams, horsegram or dried fish in the gravy. In Kongu Nadu cuisine, it is pureed and used as a curry with rice.

In Bengali cuisine, it is widely used both in a vegetable dish, cooked with red pumpkin, and in non-vegetarian dishes, cooked with the bones of the Ilish fish and may also be cooked with shrimp. In Odia cuisine, it is cooked with mustard paste to make "poi saaga rai". In Andhra Pradesh, a southern state in India, a curry of Basella alba and yam is made. In Gujarat, fresh big and tender leaves are washed, dipped in besan mix and deep-fried to make crispy pakodas called "poi na bhajia".

The vegetable is used in Chinese cuisine. It has many names including flowing water vegetable. It is often used in stir-frys and soups. In Vietnam, where it is called mồng tơi, it is cooked with shrimp, crab meat, luffa and jute to make soup. In Africa, the mucilaginous cooked shoots are most commonly used.Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.

Historically, the red variety of Basella alba has also been used to make red dye in China.{{cite book |editor1-last=Prance |editor1-first=Ghillean |editor2-last=Nesbitt |editor2-first=Mark |last1=Sanderson |first1=Helen |last2=Renfrew |first2=Jane M. |date=2005 |title=The Cultural History of Plants |publisher=Routledge |page=114 |isbn=0415927463}} This dye was used as a cosmetic and to make colored sealing wax.{{cite book |last1=Hutton |first1=Wendy |title=A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables |date=2004 |publisher=Periplus Editions |location=Singapore |isbn=0794600786 |pages=40–41}}

The stems will last a week in the refrigerator. They should be placed in water if not refrigerated to preserve their freshness.

File:Basella alba sibling.jpg|A seedling of Basella alba. The embryonic leaves are visible

File:Basella rubra.jpg|A variety of Basella alba with deep red and purple stems in the Philippines

File:(Basella alba) Malabar spinach fruit at Bandlaguda 02.JPG|Malabar spinach fruits, Zhejiang, China

File:ꦠꦸꦩꦶꦱ꧀ꦒꦼꦤ꧀ꦢꦺꦴꦭ tumis gendola 2019.jpg|A dish from Malabar spinach in Indonesia

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

{{unimelb|Basella.html}}

{{AfricanPlants|Basella alba}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081010203235/http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Basella+alba&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on Basella alba]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050409205631/http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/trade/asiaveg/thes-09.htm Photo and multilingual synonyms]
• [http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV138 University of Florida Agricultural Extension] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731145805/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV138 |date=2010-07-31 }})
• [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-388.html#basellaceae Evaluation of tropical leaf vegetables in the Virgin Islands]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1130368}}

Category:Basellaceae

Category:Bengali cuisine

Category:Chinese cuisine

Category:Flora of tropical Asia

Category:Indian cuisine

Category:Thai cuisine

Category:Leaf vegetables

Category:Perennial vegetables

Category:Plants described in 1753

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Vietnamese cuisine