Bai bua bok | บัวบก | Centella asiatica
Family: Apiaceae - Genus: Centella
This round leafed creeper can be found all around Eco-Logic's restaurant. It is used as decoration for drinks and as a vegetable!
The Asiatic Pennyword is a herbaceous, perennial creeper. The stems are slender, creeping runners, green to reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other.
It has long-stalked, green, rounded leaves which have smooth texture with veins radiated from the stalk.
The Asiatic Pennywort can be harvested all year long
THE PLANT
Asiatic pennywort is a perennial, herbaceous plant. It grows next to the ground and builds new roots at its nodes at the shoot. In this way it is well anchored in the ground. It can reach a a height of 20 centimeter.
THE LEAVES
The leaves of Asiatic pennywort are round, heart shaped or kidney shaped. They have a quite long stalk that gets usually 10 centimeter long. The leaf itself gets 4 centimeter long and 5 centimeter wide. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
THE FLOWERS
The flowers of Asiatic Pennywort are very small; they get just 2 to 5 mm long. The flowers are clustered in clusters. They are whitish to rose in color. The Asiatic Pennywort flowers from July to August.
CULINARY USES OF ASIATIC PENNYWORT
The fresh leaves taste slightly bitter and are eaten in Western style salads or made into a pesto, juice or tea.
The green juice extracted from the leaves is very rich in vitamin A.
NUTRITION
Studies show that pennywort has antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 as well as calcium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, and zinc.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE
NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.
Asiatic pennywort is rich in amino acids, beta carotene, fatty acids, and numerous potent phytochemicals. Extracts have been found to calm inflammation, speed wound healing, stimulate new cell growth, build collagen, improve circulation and is said to soothe headaches or burns.
Asiatic pennywortis part of the traditionally Chinese medicine and is used against all kind of illnesses. The plant is known in medicine since 2000 years. In additionAsiatic pennywort is said to have a rejuvenate effect. It is said that Li Ching- Yuen got 256 years old (!) because he had a very healthy lifestyle and consumed Asiatic pennywort regularly
INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience
For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!
Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!
INTO THE WILD!