Water Spinach, which scientific name is Ipomoea Aquatica, is a semiaguatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable. It is ubiquitous throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, especially in Asia. People call it phak bung in Thai, rau muống in Vietnamese, kangkong in Tagalog, trokuon in Khmer, kolmou xak in Assam, kolmi shak in Bengali, kang kung in Indonesia, Malay and Sinhalese, hayoyou in Ghana, and colloquially as "the poverty vegetable".
Ipomoea Aquatica is a species of morning glory which grows in water or in a moist soil. In Indonesia it usually grows in ponds, ditches, or dikes. But it can also grow in dry land or pots as long as you supply it with adequate water.
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 79 kJ (19 kcal) |
Carbohydrates
|
3.14 g
|
| Dietary fiber | 2.1 g |
Fat
|
0.2 g
|
Protein
|
2.6 g
|
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv. |
(39%)
315 μg |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(3%)
0.03 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(8%)
0.1 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(6%)
0.9 mg |
(3%)
0.141 mg | |
| Vitamin B6 |
(7%)
0.096 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(14%)
57 μg |
| Vitamin C |
(66%)
55 mg |
| Trace metals | |
| Calcium |
(8%)
77 mg |
| Iron |
(13%)
1.67 mg |
| Magnesium |
(20%)
71 mg |
| Manganese |
(8%)
0.16 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(6%)
39 mg |
| Potassium |
(7%)
312 mg |
| Sodium |
(8%)
113 mg |
| Zinc |
(2%)
0.18 mg |
In Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, Water Spinach is usually made into a delicious dish called "Kang Kong Blachan" or Stir fried Kang Kong with Shrimp Paste. Water Spinach is sometimes used in Thai's Famous Dish 'Tom Yum". It's also one of the greens used in Javanese-Style Vegetable with Peanut Sauce called "Pecal". Though Kang Kung is common in Indonesian diet, some people avoid it as it is believed to aggravate rheumatism and gout.
I have been planting Kang Kung in handmade self-watering-containers by utilizing used mineral water bottles. And after 4-5 times harvests, I let it to set flowers and seeds. Af first, I tried to help with hand pollination with a brush, but to my surprise it made the flower crown to dislodge! So I finally let the nature to do its part and voila! They are seeding! So next time, just let it be, as it's self-fertile!
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