| Corchorus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Grewioideae |
| Genus: | Corchorus L. |
| Species | |
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About 40-100 species, including: |
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Corchorus is a genus of about 40-100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.[1]
Different common names are used in different contexts, with jute applying to the fiber produced from the plant, and mallow-leaves for the leaves used as a vegetable. The English common name 'mallow' (also applied to other members of Malvaceae) comes from Arabic: ملوخية (mulukhiyah), with many similar transliterations in other languages like Hebrew: מלוחיה (molokhia).[2]
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The plants are tall, usually annual herbs, reaching a height of 2-4 m, unbranched or with only a few side branches. The leaves are alternate, simple, lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, with an acuminate tip and a finely serrated or lobed margin. The flowers are small (2-3 cm diameter) and yellow, with five petals; the fruit is a many-seeded capsule. It thrives almost anywhere, and can be grown year-round.
The genus Corchorus is classified under the subfamily Grewioideae of the family Malvaceae. It contains around 40 to 100 species.[3]
The genus Oceanopapaver, previously of uncertain placement, has recently been synonymized under Corchorus. The name was established by Guillaumin in 1932 for the single species Oceanopapaver neocaledonicum Guillaumin from New Caledonia. The genus has been classified in a number of different families including Capparaceae, Cistaceae, Papaveraceae, and Tiliaceae. The putative family name "Oceanopapaveraceae" has occasionally appeared in print and on the web but is a nomen nudum and has never been validly published nor recognised by any system of plant taxonomy.[4]
The fibers from Corchorus (known as jute) are the most widely cultivated vegetable fiber after cotton.[5]
The leaves of Corchorus have been a staple Egyptian food since the time of the Pharaohs and it is from there that it gains its recognition and popularity. Varieties of mallow-leaves stew with rice is a well known Middle Eastern cuisine. The leaves of Corchorus are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and vitamin C. The plant has an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent vitamin E.
Corchorus olitorius is used mainly in the cuisines of southern Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, Corchorus capsularis in Japan and China. It has a mucilaginous (somewhat "slimy") texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The seeds are used as a flavouring, and a herbal tea is made from the dried leaves.
In North Africa and the Middle East, the young leaves of Corchorus species are known in Arabic as malukhiyah and are used as green leafy vegetables . Malukhiyah is eaten widely in Egypt and some consider it the Egyptian national dish. It is featured in cuisines from Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel, Syria, Jordan and Tunisia. In Turkey and Cyprus, the plant is known as molohiya and is usually cooked into a kind of chicken stew.[6]
In Nigerian cuisine, especially amongst the Yorubas, it is commonly used in a stew known as ewedu, a condiment to other starch-based foods such as amala. In Sierra Leone it is known as krain krain (or crain crain) and is cooked as stew. The stew is usually eaten with rice or foofoo (a traditional food made from cassava).[7][6]
In India, it is locally known as nalta sag. It is a favorite food during the summer months, especially in Sambalpur and the western part of Orissa. Usually it is lightly sauteed and eaten along with rice or rice gruel.
In the Philippines, C. olitorius is known as saluyot. It is commonly consumed as a leafy vegetable together with bamboo shoots.[8]
In Kenya, it is used as a leafy vegetable consumed as a traditional (non-fried) stew in accompaniment with starchy foods like ugali, and is called murere or murenda. [9]