Scientific name: Gynura bicolor

Family: Asteraceae

Origin: S and SE Asia

Medicinal use:In Japan, Gynura bicolor is eaten as local vegetables in Ishikawa, Kumamoto and Okinawa and so on, it is lightly blanched and served with ponzu, as an ingredient in miso or tempura soup, the leaves are sautéed with sesame oil and ginger ( both hot foods). The stems and roots of the plant can also be made into tea by boiling them with water.

Scientific name: Alternanthera sissoo

Family: Amaranthaceae

Origin: S America

Medicinal use:The leaves are crisp, slightly more so than temperate spinach, and not slimy. Some cultivars are slightly bitter. Reportedly, Brazilians generally eat it raw in salads with oil or vinegar, tomato and onion, although the literature recommends cooking it. Sissoo spinach can be added to quiches, cakes, curries, dals, pasta sauces, lasagna, or added to dishes and stir-fries at the end of the cooking process as a substitute for spinach and to add a nutty flavor.

Scientific name: Persicaria odorata

Family: Polygonaceae

Origin: SE Asia

Medicinal use:The leaf is closely identified with the gastronomy of Vietnam, where it is eaten raw in salad (including chicken salad) and in raw rolls. In Cambodian gastronomy, the leaf is called chi krasang tomhom and is used to prepare soups, stews, salads and Cambodian rolls

Scientific name: Eryngium foetidum

Family: Apiaceae

Origin: Mexico and S America

Medicinal use:The leaves are used fresh, whole or chopped, as a substitute for coriander and parsley. In Panama, it is mixed with parsley, garlic, onion and chives to prepare “green recao”, a condiment widely used in the preparation of various stews, sauces and soups.

Scientific name: Tropaeolum majus

Family: Tropeolaceae

Origin: S America

Medicinal use: In the kitchen, its tender leaves and very finely chopped flowers are used in soups and salads, giving a fresh and spicy flavor reminiscent of pepper or mustard. The flowers, due to their pleasant taste and appearance, are used to decorate meat, fish, salads and vegetables dishes. The plant is especially rich in vitamins and minerals and a remedy used to cleanse the blood, as it supports the body in its detoxification. The flavor of the leaves is slightly spicy. Optically, its crumbled leaves also enrich pasta dishes and pizzas.

Scientific name: Solanum melongena

Family: Solanaceae

Origin: S Asia

Medicinal use: The consumption of eggplant is recommended after a brief cooking and with its skin properly washed previously, since it is in this last part of the eggplant where antioxidants and fiber are found in greater proportions. We can include eggplant in a sauté, a sauce, an omelette, a vegetarian curry or, in a tasty salad. Eggplant is a very low-calorie vegetable because it has more than 90% water.