Katuk

Katuk (Sauropus androgynus) is a nutritious, fast-growing perennial shrub from Southeast Asia with a pleasant, slightly nutty flavor. It is used as a leafy green vegetable, with its young shoots and leaves eaten raw or cooked in various dishes like salads, stir-fries, and soups. The plant is also known for potential health benefits, including its high protein content, antioxidant properties, and use as a traditional galactagogue to help increase breast milk production.

Culinary uses

• Young shoots and leaves: Can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries, soups, curries, or other dishes.

• Flavor: Described as nutty, similar to fresh garden peas.

• Cooked greens: Retain their color and texture when cooked, making them suitable for dishes like "sayor manis".

• Other parts: Flowers and small fruits are also edible.

Growing and care

• Climate: Thrives in hot, humid, tropical, and subtropical conditions.

• Sunlight: Can grow in full sun or partial shade, though it benefits from shade as a native understory plant.

• Maintenance: It is a fast-growing plant that can be pruned to the ground annually and will regenerate.

• Propagation: Easily propagated from cuttings.

• Pest resistance: Generally resistant to most pests and diseases. 

• Nutritional and medicinal properties

• Nutritious: Very nutrient-dense, with young leaves containing significant amounts of protein, provitamin A, and vitamins C and E, along with other minerals and antioxidants.

• Galactagogue: Traditionally used to help increase breast milk production in nursing mothers.

• Antioxidants: Contains antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids.

• Potential benefits: Animal studies suggest it may also help with conditions like high blood glucose, high cholesterol, and possess antibacterial activity.