Chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa and Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), also known as Tree Spinach, is a large, fast growing leafy perennial shrub, native to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. It somewhat resembles a vigorous hibiscus plant or the cassava plant. It can grow to be 6 meters tall, but is usually pruned to about 2m for easier leaf harvest. It is popular in Mexico and Central America as a leafy vegetable, cooked and eaten like spinach; raw leaves are toxic.
Cultivation
Chaya is easy to grow, very hardy, and suffers little insect damage. It is tolerant of heavy rain and has some drought tolerance. Propagation is normally by woody stem cuttings about 6-12 inches long, as seeds are produced only rarely. Early growth is slow as roots are slow to develop on the cuttings, so leaves shouldn't be harvested until the second year. Chaya leaves can be harvested continuously as long as no more than 50% of the leaves are removed from the plant. Enough leaves need to be left to guarantee healthy new plant growth. A USDA study in Puerto Rico reported that higher yields of greens could be obtained with chaya than any other vegetable they had studied. In another study chaya leaves were found to contain substantially greater amounts of nutrients than spinach leaves.
Consumption
Some varieties have stinging hairs and require gloves for harvesting. Cooking destroys the stinging hairs. Chaya is a good source of protein, vitamins, calcium, and iron. However, raw chaya leaves are toxic as they contain a glucoside that can release toxic cyanide. Cooking is essential prior to consumption to inactivate the toxic components; in this chaya is similar to cassava, which also contains toxic hydrocyanic glycosides and must be cooked before being eaten.[1] Traditionally leaves are immersed and simmered for 20 minutes and then served with oil or butter. Cooking for 10 minutes or more will render the leaves safe to eat, as only 1 minute of boiling will destroy most of the cyanide. The stock or liquid the leaves are cooked in can also safely be consumed as the cyanide is volatilized as Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) during cooking. Do not cook in aluminum cookware as a toxic reaction can result, causing diarrhea.
References
- ^ James M Stephens. Chaya — Cnidoscolus chayamansa McVaugh. University of Florida IFAS Extension.
- Ross-Ibarra, J. and A. Molina-Cruz. "The Ethnobotany of Chaya (Cnidoscolus Aconitifolius ssp. Aconitifolius Breckon): A Nutritious Maya Vegetable". Economic Botany 56 (4): 350–365.
