Alternanthera sissoo
Encyclopedia
Sissoo spinach, also known as Brazil spinach or Samba lettuce, is a tropical vegetable
of the genus Alternanthera
. It is vigorous and spreading, but not considered invasive
. It thrives in 50% or more shade and benefits from nitrogen
.
, and not slimy. They require steaming or boiling when served because of the presence of oxalates. Those that normally cannot stomach green vegetables usually do not mind this mild flavored green. It is eaten alone as a green or added to other dishes. Reportedly, Brazilians
usually eat it raw in salads with oil/vinegar, tomato, and onion, although the literature recommends cooking it.
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
of the genus Alternanthera
Alternanthera
Alternanthera is a genus of approximately 80 herbaceous plant species in Amaranthaceae, the amaranth family. It is a widespread genus with a cosmopolitan distribution....
. It is vigorous and spreading, but not considered invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
. It thrives in 50% or more shade and benefits from nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
.
Use as food
The leaves are crunchy, slightly more so than the temperate climate spinachSpinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
, and not slimy. They require steaming or boiling when served because of the presence of oxalates. Those that normally cannot stomach green vegetables usually do not mind this mild flavored green. It is eaten alone as a green or added to other dishes. Reportedly, Brazilians
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
usually eat it raw in salads with oil/vinegar, tomato, and onion, although the literature recommends cooking it.