Name That Leaf - Mystery Solved

Early this month I was trying to figure out what the leaves were in our CSA box (7 July post). This week when they showed up in our box again, I did what I should have done the first time, and just brought them inside to ask the staff what they were. In Japan these leaves are called moroheiya, which borrows from the original Egyptian Arabic "malukhiyah," and it has been a staple of the Egyptian diet since the time of the Pharaohs!


Wikipedia noted that it has a somewhat slimy texture when cooked, so I can't say I'm all that surprised that moroheiya is popular here. There are a lot of slimy foods like natto, okra, yamaimo, taro, sea vegetables, etc etc make regular appearances in Japanese cuisine. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of natto and okra, but yamaimo gives me the willies, so I wanted to prepare the moroheiya in a hopefully unslimy way.


I tossed it in a pan with a bit of butter and garlic, and then added eggs and feta. Served with some crusty bread and broiled tomatoes, it came close to one of our favorite dishes - Turkish Eggs at Cafe Zola. Mmmm