From Eat the Weeds
and other things, too
by Green Deane
Katuk Kontroversy
Sauropus
androgynus
Katuk in blossom
Katuk
grows reluctantly in my yard. It likes truly tropical climes and I am
on the subtropical/temperate line. But it’s still a favorite
nibble and a staple vegetable in many parts of the world.
Katuk
has a tasty leaf with a pea-like or nutty flavor. It’s also half
protein, an amazing amount for a vegetable. More so, the leaves can be
quickly stripped from the stem by pulling it between your fingers.
Tender tips, leaves, flowers, small fruits and seeds of the Katuk are
eaten raw or cooked, from soup to salad.
Also known as the
Sweetleaf Bush, Katuk is native to lowland rain forests and prefers a
hot, humid climate. Hot and humid I’ve got, but not the
lowland forest. I have not been able to get it above medium shrub stage
here in central Florida, but from what I read it never gets much beyond
a big shrub anyway. As mentioned I am exactly on the line between
subtropical and temperate, which means an occasional freeze and one or
two light frosts per winter. When a freeze threatens I take in
clippings.
Katuk (ka-TOOK) will grow in shade or full sun, but
it will not tolerate being dry. Under ideal conditions, it can grow up
to a foot a week but it is never sturdy. Regular trimming assures
optimal production of new tender shoots, prime food for Asian markets.
One is supposed to keep it pruned to between 3-6 feet whereas mine has
never exceeded four feet. The best way to propagate it is to take a
cutting and put it in water, changing the water often. Another way is
to take a stem and stick in the ground under some moist shade.
Katuk leaves
The
leaves and the top four or five inches of a branch tip have a pleasant
taste, similar to fresh garden peas, and slightly nutty. They are
usually are eaten raw in salads, or steamed. You can add them to
stir-fry, rice and egg dishes, soups or casseroles. The leaves retain
their color and texture when cooking, which is fine for salads but you
might want to chop them a little for soups or frying. They are often
served in restaurants under the name “sayur manis.” The
tiny flowers and fruit are also edible, though I have never noticed any
fruit on my Katuk bushes.
Katuk is quite nutritious with the
nutrient content is higher in more mature leaves. Though it is dwarfed
by the Moringa trees in my yard, I eat the Katuk far more often than
the Moringa just out of taste. Raw the Katuk has an after
taste
that sits well on the palate, the Moringa can be sharp and bitter, if
not peppery. More so, the Moringa easily grows 12 feet a season, where
as the Katuk just gets a manageable bushy.
As to Katuk’s scientific name, Sauropus androgynus.
(SAW row-puss an-DROG-ah-nus.) What it means is
known, as
both words are Latinized Greek. Why the plant is called what it is
called is a little harder. Androgynus, in the plant world, means having
flowers that are either male or female. Sauropus
means “lizard-foot.” Why “lizard foot” is
anyone’s guess. By the way: Change the ending of Sauropus to
Saururus and you have Lizard Tail, a different plant species with
medicinal qualities.
By now you should know Katuk is one of the
most popular vegetable in the world, particularly in Borneo and my home
in Florida. Now some information to keep the lawyers happy:
Every
now and then some people get suckered and become human lab rats. This
happened in Taiwan in the mid-1990’s involving Katuk. Although
Katuk has been consumed for thousands of years without issue, and is
consumed daily by millions without a problem, there is always someone
around to do something excessive and stupid. The rest of us end up with
a warning and worry.
Katuk’s tiny blossoms
Some
vendors in Taiwan convinced people that an extract of raw Katuk was
good for weight loss… yep, a fad diet. The vendors sold
extract of ground Katuk leaves mixed with fruit juice. Fifty-four
people, 50 females, four males, developed lung problems, most
of
which went away upon stopping the diet. Four middle-aged women,
however, who drank 3.5 to 7 ounces (100g to 200g) a day of the extract
for up to two months had to have lung transplants within a year and a
half of consuming the extract. This is the human equivalent of
over-dosing a lab rat to induce disease. More so, not only did these
four take the extract they also ate a lot more raw Katuk while taking
the extract. Only mother’s milk wouldn’t hurt you at that
rate, and maybe even that would. Despite proven dangerous, this fad
diet persisted and 9 cases were found in Japan in 2006 causing one
death and one lung transplant.
The poisonings are believed
related to papaverine in the plant, which makes blood vessels open up
and is not an uncommon treatment for high blood pressure. There is
about 580 mg of papaverine per 100g of raw Katuk leaf, or about the
same as four prescriptions capsules of papaverine to 3 ounces of raw
leaf. The theory is in high doses it permanently damaged the
tiny
blood vessels in the lung. Researchers have not been able to recreate
the symptoms in lab rats which has led some to think the problem might
have a genetic component.
A follow-up study of 278 people in
Taiwan with non-fatal symptoms found the median consumption of Katuk
was 5.3 ounces a day of raw leaf for 20 days. Their consumption was
about seven times the average consumption of Katuk by symptom-free
Malaysians, which is three to six ounces a week, not a day.
It
was, it seems, too much of a good thing done wrongly. A 2006 study on
rats showed that in a controlled experiment Katuk did help rats lose
weight and reduce their triglycerides. Clearly it needs more research.
So,
what does all this mean, beside don’t eat Katuk if you are taking
something to open your blood vessels or lower your blood pressure?
Enjoy Katuk as an addition to salads, a lawn-side nibble, and cooked in
various dishes like you find in thousands of restaurants. Just
don’t consume a half a pound of it a day raw for weeks or months
and/or while taking an extract as well. I have been tossing a dozen
leaves in my weekly salads for more than five years. I ain’t
concerned.
Katuk’s nutritional content is outstanding: 49%
protein, 18% fiber, vitamins A, B & C, potassium 2.77% (more
than
bananas at 1.48%); calcium 2.77% (dried skim milk is less than half
that at 1.3%); phosphorus .61% (dried soybeans are at .55%); magnesium
.55%; and even enough iron to mention.
Incidentally, in beast
and woman, Katuk stimulates milk production. And no doubt out there
somewhere in the world a man will eat a bushel a day and start
lactating then we’ll have that to worry about, too.
Green Deane’s
“Itemized” Plant Profile
Identification:
Bush, upright with multiple stems, three to six feet high; dark-green,
oval-shaped leaves 5-6 cm long. Flat, round, yellow to red flowers,
small 1-2cm across, form in the leaf axils. In tropical climates, a
purple capsule forms with small, black seeds. May need two different
trees to fruit.
Time of Year:
Here in central Florida it loses its leaves for a couple of months in
our light winters, but has leave available for the rest of the year,
blossoms in summer and fall. It is pest free.
Environment:
Understory tree, likes some shade or full sun, prefers hot humid
climate, can’t tolerate frost or freezing.
Method of
Preparation: Leaves, tips, flowers and fruits edible raw
or cooked, raw in moderation
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reference to be used in conjunction with experts in your area. Foraging
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