My tenants are Congolese and they asked me if they could cultivate a small vegetable patch to grow edible plants from their country that are not readily available here in South Africa. I agreed, but I warned them that they may have problems growing vegetables that thrive in Central Africa in our colder, more arid climate. After a few failed tries, we finally found a spot in the garden where the plants grew well: sunny and warm but only getting full morning sun. They told me that the vegetable in question is called matembele in Lingala, the Congolese language that they speak. It has started flowering and now I have been able to identify the plant.
The flowers show that it is Ipomoea Batatas, a family of plants which includes sweet potatoes and morning glory vines. So how did sweet potato vines, native to South America, end up becoming a vegetable of tropical Africa? The answer to that must lie with the early Portuguese explorers and traders, who were the first to make any significant exploration of the coastline of Africa. There was already substantial Spanish conquest of South America, which introduced many new plants to the world. While people think of West Africa as the most significant contributor to slavery in the Americas, many slaves were of Congolese origin and the majority of these unfortunate people were taken to Brazil, a Portuguese colony at the time.
Sweet potato vine is a tasty leafy vegetable when cooked in a traditional African way: The leaves are chopped finely and cooked together with tomatoes, onions, chillies, salt and oil. Congolese people also add fish to the pot, making a nutritious meal that is often eaten together with Cassava, another plant native to South America that features strongly in West and Central African cooking
These are pretty flowers, I like the centers of them!
I do, too
Loved your post! Mixing in a bit of history is inspiring! Have to ask: you say this is a sweet potato vine, but don't mention anywhere that people eat the root---the potato---of the plant? Where I am, people only eat the root of the plant. I'm starting to wonder if I have been missing out! It was only 10 years ago that I learned you can cook the tops of beets and eat them!
Here, people cook young pumpkin leaves as a vegetable as well. You are missing out!
I'm going to have to be far more diligent in my garden waste, ensuring that I am composting only things that aren't desirable to consume ourselves!
It is such a great feeling to be able to grow and harvest your own vegetables, and also to be able to share it with others.
Exactly
I thought that your sweet potato vine resembled a morning glory. How is your house coming along? 🐓🐓
Slowly, I have been waiting for the BTC price to improve before I cash out some. I'm starting a few smaller repairs tomorrow, though
Small repairs are a good place to start. Foundational kind of work. Does that mean your job at the bookstore gallery is no longer? If so, I am glad your rental units provide a little something for you. 🐓🐓
No, I still have the one bookstore job. I used to have two different bookstores that I worked at
I find this fascinating and it's really nice that you're allowing them to grow some food to eat.
The flower does look like the morning glory vine.
I like growing succulents because you don't use loads of water keeping them alive and I grow vegetables for myself. The garden space is tiny and I would rather see it full of vegetables that we all can use than flowers and as an artist, I understand what it's like to be poor
Poor but rich with appreciation, poor but understanding.
First time I read that potatoes grow on trees.
In Russia potatoes grow only in the ground.
Although they are called vines, that is because they grow along the ground, not upright and we eat the undergound roots (tubers). So they are very much like potatoes
We have sweet potato vines in the greenhouse right now. They're the decorative kind tho.
Even the decorative kinds are edible. Try it!
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I's always interesting to try a new vegetable
It's always interesting to try a new vegetable
Bunga terompet ini banyak kita jumpai di tepi sawah
This family of plants has spread all over the world
Beautiful. Love flowers and I love @Stefan.Molyneux and Lauren Southern. Cat Lady, thanks for sharing. I love potatoes so much hehe. Thanks for sharing. I'm Oatmeal Joey Arnold. Happy Easter 2018. I have gardens too. I love history.
very nice flowers, upvoted