Spinach- Malabar Large Leaf Green Stem

Large Leaf Green Stem Malabar Spinach

Basella alba

Basella alba, or Malabar Spinach, is a robust climbing Asian vine that thrives in heat and humidity. The smooth, dense leaves resemble spinach, but have a light Swiss chard flavor. New leaves are nutritious and can be used in salads or stir-fries. Unlike other Malabar that has thin winding vines, this one has thicker vines that don't really wrap and climb on their own.  We like to pinch off the vine tips at about 6- 8 inches, and cook them like asparagus. The plant will split off 2-3 vines every time you cut it. The large leaves can get as big as dinner plates. They begin to "go to seed" as the days get shorter in the fall. The seeds can stain things purple, and are used as a dye in some places