Written By CSA Maadi
Once upon a time there was an Egyptian king who got terribly sick one day. His healers recommended he drink this green soup made from the leaves of a plant we now call here in Egypt — Molokhia. The word Molokhia comes from the word ‘mulukia’ which means ‘of royalty’. Even though the plant started off its life as a royal remedy, it has now become a national staple that is part of every Egyptian’s diet almost from the moment one can start eating as a toddler. We all grow up on Molokhia, whether eating it with rice, bread, shrimp, rabbit, chicken or meat. Unlike many of its other green counterparts in the vegetable family like spinach or broccoli, molokhia is a favourite amongst kids, which is fantastic from a nutritional point of view as molokhia is a health gem containing high amounts of iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium alongside many other vitamins and minerals. Good for both the bones of the young ones and the guts of the old ones, molokhia has been a part of our diet for hundreds of years and is here to stay.
So what is Molokhia?
Molokhia is a type of leafy plant called Corchorus, Jew’s mallow, Jute mallow or Nalta. Though not an official name, people also commonly refer to it as Egyptian spinach. The dish we also call by the same name Molokhia is commonly prepared from the leaves of the plant shredded and minced into a soup-like dish that is served with rice or bread. The makhrata, a mezzaluna- like utensil was created specifically for shredding molokhia. Molokhia is prepared slightly differently in every region of Egypt, with some places preparing it from its dried form and with meat or chicken to others preparing it with shrimp or rabbit and from its fresh or frozen form. Though Molokhia might’ve originated in Egypt, it is eaten throughout the entire Middle East and North Africa region with each country making its own unique dishes out of this beautiful green plant.
Where can you get Molokhia from?
Molokhia grows in the summer months so it can be found fresh in abundance in markets between June and September. The rest of the year, people will mostly buy it frozen from the frozen veggie section in supermarkets. Others who enjoy the dried molokhia version will find it all year round at the spice shops commonly known in Arabic as ‘attar’. In Maadi, there are a couple of these on Street 233.
What is in Molokhia that makes it so healthy?
It contains copious amounts of iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, in addition to vitamin C, E, K, A, B6, and Niacin. It also contains certain antioxidant carotenes that put it in a similar category as some of the greatest superfoods, but without breaking the bank. With such a wide array of minerals, Molokhia has benefits for about every system in the human body from the cardiovascular system to the digestive system, even helping improve sleep with its generous magnesium content. The great thing about molokhia is that it grows so easily, so fast and in abundance which keeps it affordable and highly accessible for anyone who wants to eat it. Growing in full sun over a very short 60-day period from seed to harvest, you can even try growing a little molokhia on your balcony come summer.
Even though Molokhia is so popular now-a-days, there was a time when it was banned and rarely to be found in a household. According to folklore, during the 10th century Fatimid dynasty, the Caliph of Cairo outlawed the consumption of the green food because of its alleged aphrodisiac effect on women. Thankfully for us, we are living in a time where this delicious and highly nutritious dish can be enjoyed by people everywhere without any risk to their wallets or freedoms.
If you’d like to give Molokhia a try, here’s a couple of recipes you can try:
