kenaf - hibiscus cannabinus

prakash_mib · « **on:** May 26, 2010, 11:51 »

After the successful sprouting of green chickpeas (for leaves) I've loads of brownie points from OH and she asked if I can grow the above said one here.
Has anybody grown this for consumption or just as ornamental please?
I know it is a very long shot but we always get some responses here dont we?

savbo · « **Reply #1 on:** May 26, 2010, 13:06 »

Intriguing! I'd never heard of it and wikipedia doesn't mention culinary uses apart from the oil... from the picture you'd need a biggish area - it's taller than Fartichoke!

let us know how you get on.

M

prakash_mib · « **Reply #2 on:** May 26, 2010, 13:11 »

the pfaf had some details when i looked into it. pfaf has crossed its bandwidth now and I cant see that link anymore.
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Hibiscus+cannabinus
And on the size of the plant, if you are using it for edibility you normally would chop the stems (for leaves) when they reach 2 feet high. the pics in the net are from people growing them for fibres.

savbo · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2010, 14:38 »

do you use it like spinach?

prakash_mib · « **Reply #4 on:** May 26, 2010, 16:22 »

yep,
cook and eat! very tangy though. in southern part of india they make a pickle of it and you can find them in a good indian supermarket. it is called "Gongura Pickle" tastes absolute heaven

corynsboy · « **Reply #5 on:** May 26, 2010, 18:22 »

You're right. The internet is a bit sketchy on this plant.

It looks quite a lot like something else. Very, very similar indeed. The name appears to back up my initial thoughts.

Are you certain that there is nothing else you can do with the plant other than make a tangy pickle and use it like spinach?

prakash_mib · « **Reply #6 on:** May 26, 2010, 19:10 »

certainly it looks like that plant! I know but! it is not. Absolutely sure it is not. it comes from same genus cann@bis. but this is grown for hemp for its fibre commercially by farmers with leaves sold for "EDIBLE" purpose

savbo · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2010, 19:20 »

Hemp/c@nnabis is from the nettle family and Hibiscus from the Mallow, so I guess the species name just means it has leaves like cannabis.

Interesting about the tangy description - many years ago in a Burmese restaurant in san Francisco we had 'Burmese Sour Vegetable' which was yummy but did smell like wee... could it be the same thing?

M

prakash_mib · « **Reply #8 on:** May 26, 2010, 19:45 »

Quote from: savbo on May 26, 2010, 19:20

Hemp/c@nnabis is from the nettle family and Hibiscus from the Mallow, so I guess the species name just means it has leaves like cannabis.

Interesting about the tangy description - many years ago in a Burmese restaurant in san Francisco we had 'Burmese Sour Vegetable' which was yummy but did smell like wee... could it be the same thing?

M

spot on! (had to do lot of google searches)
It is a roselle (same family - probably hibiscus sabdariffa) leaf variety called "chin baung ywet" in burmese (from internet).
but please! smelling like wee

savbo · « **Reply #9 on:** May 26, 2010, 20:04 »

thanks prakash - must keep an eye out for the kedaf around Rusholme...

kenaf - hibiscus cannabinus

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