Re: S/nettles/calaloo.

From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 2002.01.02 at 15:06:09(8014) In a message dated 1/1/02 10:59:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, ju-bo@email.msn.com writes: << The Amaranth is sold in bundles as Jamaican spinach, Jamaicans use it +More (and not Colocasia leaves like we Trinidadians do) for THEIR 'calaloo', and folk in N. Florida call it 'pig-weed', and at least around my Trinidadian friend`s home compete w/ others in gathering it where it grows as a weed in newly ploughed or cleared ground! I turned Mary Sizemore and Lynn Hannon on to it, they say it was THE best greens they have tasted! >> <<>>Obviously, they have never tasted stinging nettle. Amaranth is all right, but nettle is better.<<>> But which one of the many 'stinging nettles', Jason?? In Trinidad there are at least 3 DIFFERENT stinging nettles, and here in Florida what looks exactly like the Trinidadian 'red' stinging nettle, (the least harmful of the 3) does not sting! I am told that it is used medicinally by Guatemalan women. (By the way, Haitians look for, collect, cook and eat as one of their 'calaloos' one of the other common bed-weeds with yellow flowers belonging to the Portulacaceae, their other 'calaloo' is made from Colocasia (called 'mazumbelle' in Haiti) leaves, now THERE is your Aroid link! Julius

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