By Sophie Annan Jensen
Author's note: This article was published in 1996. While the basic subject is still valid. The specific details - people, places, addresses etc. are likely to have changedCHAYA, THE MAYAN MIRACLE PLANT
(Supplement, June 24, 1997)
"Here is a contribution of the unforgettable Maya Indians, whom we have abandoned," is the wistful introduction to a pamphlet on Chaya, from Desarollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), which goes on to call Chaya "an ideal food and medicine."
According to the National Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City, ingesting chaya will:
- Improve blood circulation,
- help digestion,
- improve vision,
- disinflame veins and hemorrhoids,
- help lower cholesterol,
- help reduce weight,
- prevent coughs,
- augment calcium in the bones,
- decongest and disinfect the lungs,
- prevent anemia by replacing iron in the blood,
- improve memory and brain function and
- combat arthritis and diabetes.
A nutritional analysis (see chart) shows that chaya is richer in iron than spinach, and a powerful source of potassium and calcium.
It's also incredibly easy to grow and an attractive addition to the garden with its maple-like leaves and tidy growth pattern. It limits itself to about six feet in height. Plant a row close together and you'll soon have a hedge. The plants tend to be open toward the bottom, so you can create a border with low- and medium-growing herbs.
Despite the near-miraculous claims for it, I've run into very few Mexicans who are familiar with chaya, and have never seen it in the market. To grow your own, stake branches of about 40 centimeters in sandy soil with good drainage, and water regularly. It grows well in a median annual temperature of 25 C. or higher, and at altitudes of 0 to 1000 meters above sea level.
In some states it is called Chaya Col or Chaya Mansa. The botanical name is Cnidoscolus Chayamansa.
Start harvesting as soon as you see a couple of new leaves sprouted. Cutting encourages new growth, and the branches are pretty in flower arrangements. There's so much of it around our place that we're rather profligate with it, and it always rewards us with rapid new growth. Except for an occasional raid by cutter ants, we've found it pest-free.
The leaves are pretty bland, so you can add them to soups, casseroles, spaghetti sauces, salsas and salads without affecting the taste. The tiny, tender ones can go in omelets or salads or be used as garnish. The larger ones are best chopped and cooked long and slow. I've tried cooking them quickly, like spinach, and have not been happy with the leathery results.
For a liter of tea, use 3-5 medium size leaves with whatever blend you favor. I like two bags of black tea with two bags of mint and the chaya leaves, "cooked" in a glass bottle in the sun for a couple of hours and then refrigerated. Soak the leaves in water with a disinfectant such as Microdyn, before using, as you do fruits and vegetables.
WARNING: In cooking or serving, DO NOT USE ALUMINUM CONTAINERS as a toxic reaction can result, causing diarrhea.
Use pottery or glass.
Here's a nutritional comparison, supplied by the Mexican National Institute of Nutrition, and distributed by DIF.
Percentages are of minimum daily requirements.
% CHAYA ALFALFA SPINACH Protein
Crude Fibre
Carbohydrates
Calcium
Phosphorus
Iron
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1
Ascorbic Acid
8.25
1.94
7.23
421.00
63.00
11.61
8.52
0.23
0.35
274.00
3.66
3.12
4.84
12.00
15.00
5.30
0.74
0.13
0.14
130.00
2.00
2.07
0.19
49.00
30.00
5.70
2.48
0.03
0.10
17.50
¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Chaya Supplement
Since the article on chaya (Cnidoscolus Chayamansa) was published, we've had numerous requests from the United States on where to buy plants or seed, or how to have it sent from Mexico. We can't send from Mexico--plants and seeds are restricted items. Here's what we've found out.
Reader Mary Matthews, bless her heart, informs us that the plants are available from
Echo Seed Sales
17430 Durrance Rd
North Fort Myers FL 33917
Matthews also writes: 'My concern is this, the company stated in the article that Chaya leaves are poisonous and have to be cooked.'
It's common practice in Mexico to use the leaves raw in agua fresca, a tea-like cold drink, and our source brochure from the Mexican federal agency for family development doesn't indicate there's any danger. We caution you to be sure you're getting Cnidoscolus Chayamansa--there may well be other varieties.
Another source to try is: Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami, Fla., which has an exchange program for tropical seeds. For more information contact Mary Collins at 305-667-1651, ext. 317.
Cathy Ryan is horticulturist for the tropical woody ornamental collection at Fairchild Tropical Garden and can be reached at 305-667-1651, ext. 325.
Those who live in areas with Spanish-speaking populations might try grocery stores or nurseries in Latino neighborhoods. If you don't speak Spanish, what you say is: 'Sabe Usted en donde puedo comprar semillas o plantitas de chaya?' (Do you know where I can buy seeds or small plants of chaya?) If you get a positive answer, ask them to write it down. ('Por favor, escribelo.')
This is all we know about sources for chaya--should you find anything else, please advise us on the Mexico Connect General Forum.
