Morning Glory

Morning glory at Busuba Eathai

I love new ingredients and even if I will never get the chance to grow it in this country I still like to expand my horizons and try exotic vegetables.

Busuba Eathai usual succeed in introducing me to new dishes but the last time I ventured into a branch in London I discovered a new ingredient.  Now I normally consider Morning Glory to be a climber with blue flowers that we can indeed grow in this country.  What I did not know was that it was also the name for water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and used widely in the far east.  Hence, it turning up at Busuba Eathai.  It likes to live in water or very damp soil and can grow quite rampantly; indeed in Florida it is considered a weed.

You harvest the leaves and stalks and steam or braise. The taste is of subtle spinach; almost bland.  It can absorb the flavours of the stock or sauce around so is a great companion to those big, robust Thai flavours. Something I would love to try again.... I have seen the seeds available in the UK.... now I wonder?