Common Names: Malabar Spinach, Poi Callaloo, Thick Leaf Callaloo, Poi Bhajee
Malabar Spinach, colloquially called “poi” by the people of Guyana is a vine with edible leaves that grows as easily as wild bush in all kinds of soil and climatic conditions. It is a plant that requires very little care for growth, but may be susceptible to insects and other pests which chew away at the leaves, sometimes rendering them unsightly and uncookable. If you want to avoid toxic, expensive, and potentially destructive man-made pesticides, the presence of pest around poi can be combated by planting “fine thyme” or “oregano” within close proximity to the poi plants.
Poi comes in two varieties: purplish green and full green. Both are equally nutrition and beautiful looking. Poi can be cooked using a wide variety of recipes and provide a range range of vitamins and other nutrients. According to the USDA website, a 100-gram serving of malabar spinach contains the following:
Amount Per
100 grams
Calories 19
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.3 g
0%
Cholesterol 0 mg
0%
Sodium 24 mg
1%
Potassium 510 mg
14%
Total Carbohydrate 3.4 g
1%
Protein 1.8 g
3%
Vitamin C
170%
Calcium
10%
Iron
6%
Vitamin D
0%
Vitamin B6
10%
Cobalamin
0%
Magnesium
16%
You read that right! Just 100 grams of poi can supply 10% of your daily vitamin C needs and 3% of your daily protein needs!
The amount of nutrients available in cooked poi will differ slightly depending on the manner of which it was cooked, example, the amount of heat applied. Like other edible leaves, the healthiest way to eat poi is by light cooking or steaming.
