Okinawa spinach (Gynura Crepiodes)

Description

You heard of blue zones? These are places throughout the world where people live the longest. One is Okinawa, Japan. And one of the reasons for their longevity includes them sitting around and munching on this delicious plant. I don’t know how exactly to describe the crisp and crunchy almost medicinal flavor. It’s like you can taste it putting a healing on you.

Okinawa spinach is the spicy sister or rascally cousin of longevity spinach, showing off a bit of purple on her backside.

Her common names include Hong tsoi, Okinawa lettuce, and Cholesterol spinach. Its scientific name is Gynura crepioides or Gynura bicolor (for the two-toned coloration of the leaves)

In frost-free climates she requires little, if any, maintenance other than pruning (harvesting) and will produce abundant greens year-round, for years on end. If we are going to get a frost, there are two things you can do and I recommend both. First, harvest almost all of what is there. Once this is done, heavily mulch what is left. Take some of those cuttings and bring them inside for the winter, either in a glass of water or in a small pot until the spring.

Okinawa spinach is said to help lower cholesterol, hence one of its common names, “cholesterol spinach”. She is rich in protein, iron, potassium, calcium, and vitamin A.

A scientific review of her compounds found anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, a supporter of healthy blood sugar balance, supporter of liver health, and may even support the skin in defending itself from sun damage. She also supports the Saints and we hope to see her in the recipes of chefs around the city.

This plant first came from a cutting from my friend Brad way out in Kenner who has introduced me to many different subtropical fruits and perennial vegetables.