Alugbati

Photo of Alugbati by Angie Pastor.

The alugbati vine has been described as a “Malabar nightshade herb with red stems and edible spinach-like leaves.”

Scientific name: Basella rubra

Considered a very nutritious gulay (vegetable) in the Philippines, the stems with leaves still on can be simply boiled and then dipped in toyomansi (soy sauce and calamansi) to go with plain steamed rice.

The stems of the alugbati are actually purplish and when cooked they are madulas (“slippery” or silky). It’s that distinctive mouthfeel that distinguishes alugbati and the other Philippine leafy vegetable saluyot. A few people don’t like it and even say it’s kadiri (disgusting) because the texture brings to mind the same thing that the viscous liquid of fresh oysters and soft okra insides do.