Go Healthy eat Philippine Veggies

Perhaps you have heard of Philippine fresh vegetables or seen them but haven’t actually tasted them. If you haven’t you’re actually missing some of life’s delightful pleasures. Several of these are cooked individually or mixed with others to come up with a succulent dish that will satisfy even the most delicate palate. You might be surprised to find them in your drinks or served as a dessert. We have prepared a list of best vegetables to eat that Filipinos consume daily so they won’t be foreign to you.

Water Spinach

Or locally called “kangkong”, it is prepared in many ways as food. A member of the adobo family along with chicken and pork. Mix this with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions, and bay leaves. It is also the main veggie in the Filipinos favourite soup dish “Sinigang.”

Sweet potato

Camote in Tagalog is similar to yam and it comes in yellow and purple. It has a sweet taste that is used in desserts aside from being an ingredient in savory and sweet viands. It is perfect for breakfast or in-between snacks by simply boiling.

Moringa

Populary known as malunggay in the Philippines. The leaves, the pods, and flowers are edible you just boil it and dip it in fish sauce. Leaves are used to cook stews and soup, it also used for tea and now it is mixed in bread to make pandesal.

Brocolli

It is considered a heavyweight in terms of its immense disease-fighting capability. This is one of the cruciferous vegetables known for its remarkable health benefits and their medicinal effects. Its powerful antioxidant is used to fight cancer and boost the immune system so you won’t catch common colds or flu easily.

Luffa

Also called Loofa or “patola” is added in native viands like pinakbet, dinengdeng, and miswa. It can be dried and used as a natural bath sponge, loofah, to remove dead skin and clods.

Banana Blossom

It is called “puso ng saging” in Tagalog and is the blossom at the bottom of the fruit of the banana tree. It has a hard, leafy texture that softens when cooked in choice viands like the Filipino’s favorite, kare-kare.

Taro

Or known locally as “gabi” is an alternative for meat in a vegetarian’s food. It is commonly boiled and used in baking or as an additive in the Filipino’s favourite dessert, “ginatan” or “alfahor.”

Winged beans

Or “sigarilyas” in Tagalog is commonly used by Filipinos that can be sauteed or an additional ingredient in local dishes. All parts of the plant are edible; leaves can be consumed like spinach, and flowers as an ingredient in a salad.

Bitter Gourd

Also called locally as “ampalaya,” it’s one of the healthiests plant in the world and provides medicinal benefits. It can be used to treat people with diabetes and as an ingredient in the green juice for detoxification. The fruit and leaves can be boiled or sauteed and mixed with other vegetables for an enjoyable dish.

Eating vegetables is not fun but ”lechon”, roasted pig, is. Then again our body will tell us that “It’s not what you want but what you need.” Listen to the local song “Bahay Kubo” and translate all Philippine vegetables mentioned in the song to English. You’ll be surprised that you’re better off than a local because not all Filipi”knows” the equivalence in English

Source:

Pinoy Top Tens: http://www.topten.ph/2014/09/05/top-10-healthiest-vegetables-philippines/

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