Latin Name: Ipomea batatas

Family: Convolvucea

Other Names: Batata

Culinary use

Sweet potato is a tuber with great nutritional values used in traditional cooking. It must be eaten cooked because it contains starch to be digested properly. Sweet potatoes can be boiled, baked, grilled or microwaved and served as a side dish.

Medicinal use

It is valuable medicinal plant having anti-cancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities.

The post Sweet potato first appeared on Mangrove Society Nonprofit.

Latin Name: Manihot esculenta

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Other names: Yuca, Manioc, Cassava tapioca

Culinary use

Cassava is one of the most important cultivated tropical food crops. Its tuberous roots are high in carbohydrates and are eaten cooked in a variety of dishes. They are also fried as chips and processed into a flour called tapioca. The young leaves can be eaten cooked as a spinach-like vegetable. The roots and leaves are toxic when raw and need to be cooked before eating. 

Medicinal use

Cassava is believed to have antifungal, antiviral, mutagenic, and antibacterial properties. It has been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health problems, including diarrhea, dysentery, constipation, and indigestion.

SOURCES

Plants of the World Online

Useful Tropical Plants

The post Cassava first appeared on Mangrove Society Nonprofit.

Latin Name: Brassica oleracea var. sabellica

Family: Brassicaceae

Other Names: Curly leaf

Culinary use

Often used in salads, like kale it is tougher and more bitter when raw than when cooked. A good way to make it less tough and bitter when not cooked is to massage it.

Medicinal use

Helps with bone, eye and immune health, and is good for brain development.

The post Curly Kale first appeared on Mangrove Society Nonprofit.

Latin Name: Alternanthera sissoo

Family: Amaranthaceae

Other names: Samba lettuce, Sambu, Poor man’s spinach

Culinary use

Brazilian spinach is eaten raw as a salad green and cooked as an alternative to spinach. It has a crunchy, firm texture and a slightly bitter taste. It can be steamed, boiled or fried on its own, or added to dishes such as soups, stews, pies, curries, pasta and stir-fries.

Medicinal use

Not known

SOURCES

Plants of the World Online

Useful Tropical Plants

The post Brazilian Spinach first appeared on Mangrove Society Nonprofit.

Latin Name: Capsicum chinense

Family: Solanacea

Other Names: Panamanian chili, Chile Chombo

CULINARY USE

Habanero chilies can be eaten raw or cooked. The chili adds heat to food, and can be very spicy. It is often used in salsas, curries, soups, stews, and marinades, and to make hot sauces. Dried fruits or seeds can be ground into powder to be used for seasoning, coloring, or used as a pepper.

MEDICINAL USE

Studies have shown that capsaicin can slow the proliferation of prostate cancer, lower cholesterol and blood-pressure levels, control hypertension, obesity, and gastrointestinal disorders, and counter the effects of depression and other mood disorders.

SOURCES

Plants of the World Online

Britannica

The post Habanero Chili first appeared on Mangrove Society Nonprofit.