Fiber The
fibers from
Corchorus (known as
jute) are the most widely cultivated
vegetable fiber after
cotton.
Food ,
India.
Corchorus leaves are consumed in the cuisines of various countries.
Corchorus olitorius is used mainly in the cuisines of southern
Asia, the
Middle East,
North Africa and
West Africa,
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. The leaves of
Corchorus are rich in
betacarotene,
iron,
calcium, and
vitamin C. The plant has an
antioxidant activity with a significant α-
tocopherol equivalent
vitamin E. In North Africa and the Middle East, the young leaves of
Corchorus species are known in
Arabic as
malukhiyah and are used as green
leafy vegetables .
Malukhiyah is eaten widely in Egypt and some consider it the
Egyptian national dish. It is featured in cuisines from
Lebanon,
Palestine,
Syria,
Jordan and
Tunisia. In
Turkey and
Cyprus, the plant is known as
molohiya or
molocha and is usually cooked into a kind of chicken stew. The leaves of
Corchorus have 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. In
Nigerian cuisine, it is used in a stew known as
ewedu, a condiment to other starch-based foods such as
amala or added with gbegiri a local Nigerian soup. In
Northern Nigeria it is known as
Ayoyo. They use it to cook a sauce called (
Miyan Ayoyo) which is commonly served with
Tuwon Masara or
Tuwon Allebo. In
Ghana, it is mostly eaten by the people in the North and it is called ayoyo. It is mostly eaten with
Tuo Zaafi (food prepared with cornflour). Jute leaves are also consumed among the
Luhya people of Western
Kenya, where it is commonly known as
mrenda or
murere. It is eaten with starchy foods like
ugali, a staple for most communities in Kenya. In Northern Sudan it is called
khudra, meaning "green" in
Sudanese Arabic. The
Songhai people of
Mali call it
fakohoy. In
India, it is locally known as
nalta sag. It is a favorite food during the summer months, especially in
Sambalpur and the western part of
Odisha. Usually it is lightly sauteed and eaten along with rice or rice gruel. In the
Philippines,
C. olitorius is known as
saluyot. It is commonly consumed as a leafy vegetable together with
bamboo shoots. In
Thai cuisine, the leaves of the
Corchorus olitorius (locally known as
bai po; ) are eaten blanched, together with plain rice
congee. The taste resembles that of spinach and
samphire. ==See also==