Malunggay, Miracle Tree

Malunggay, Miracle Tree



Part 1



Today I want to start telling you about one of my new favorite ingredients, Malunggay. This may take more than just one post as this is a wonder of nature. I admit I was slow to try it. I will normally try anything but for some reason I just didn’t get around to Malunggay even though I saw it every day. When I did try it, I hated that I waited so long and then when I researched it, I wish I had been eating it every day.



Moringa Oleifera (Photo credit: ValMan)

The Malunggay tree is known by many names moringa , horseradish tree, benzolive tree, kelor, marango, mlonge, moonga, nébéday, saijhan, sajna or Ben oil tree, drumstick tree and many others. It was originally a native of the Himalayan foot hills but has spread throughout Asia and many other regions of the world. It is a hardy plan that will tolerate a wide temperature range; it is drought resistant and tolerates poor soil very well. Because of these traits and others that will become apparent. Malunggay is seen as one possible solution to famine relief in many areas.



Moringa oleifera (Photo credit: tonrulkens)

There is no part of the moringa tree that cannot be utilized for food in some way. The roots have a pulpy core with a taste reminiscent of Horseradish. The British soon discovered this after coming to India and used it in sauces for their meals. The bark can be used as a seasoning and gives a warm almost peppery flavor. The young Bean bods or drum sticks as the Brits called them are normally parboiled while the mature bods are shelled and the beans eaten like peas or roasted and eaten like nuts. These are very tasty. The bean is also a good source of oil yielding up to 40% of their wait. This oil known as Ben oil is highly resistant to rancidity and even shows promise as a biofuel. The leaves are my favorite part. They have a lite green taste and can be incorporated into almost type of food. Here in the Philippines they are used as a true green boiled or added to soups, or my favorite way, ground and added to the dough for Pandesal, a Filipino type of sweet bread.



This is just a basic introduction to a wonderful plant. I hope to make you more familiar with. I have not even touched on the wonderful nutrition or health benefit facts this plant can bring to our tables. Those subjects will have to wait until my next installment on this subject. You’ll understand why it is being called “The Miracle Tree”. Look for it next Friday. Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel. Enjoy!