Thua-khaek | ถั่วแขก | Canavalia ensiformis
Family: Fabaceae - Genus: Canavalia
The jack bean can be found near the fish ponds at the aqua hydro ponic greenhouse on the premises of TCDF - Eco-Logic.
Jack Bean is a drought-tolerant, fast-growing, sometimes shrubby twining annual to short-lived perennial plant that grows about 50 – 200 cm tall but can become up to 10 meters long when climbing, its stems supporting themselves by twining around other plants. The plant is woody with a strong, long tap root system. Its roots have nodules which fix nitrogen.
Jack bean flowers 50-110 days after sowing. The time from sowing to seed harvest is normally about 170 days. In the tropics it flowers throughout the year.
THE VINE
Jack bean is a twining plant up to 1 meter in height. It has deep roots, which makes it drought resistant. The plant can spread via long runners. The flowers are pink-purple in color. The pods are up to 36 centimeters long with large white seeds.
THE LEAVES
Leaves arise alternately and are trifoliate. The 8 in (20 cm) long and 4 in (10 cm) wide leaves have three egg-shaped leaflets that are wedge-shaped at the base, and taper towards the tip. The center leaflet is slightly elongated. Petioles are as long as the leaflets.
THE FLOWERS
Flowers are rose-colored, purplish, or white with a red base, rounded; about 2.5 centimeter long; up to 20 may develop in groups of 2-3 on each beanstalk.
THE FRUIT
Fertile flowers are followed by 30 centimeter long, 4 centimeter wide, sword-shaped seedpod that are linear, slightly curved and contain 1-2 centimeter long, ellipsoid seeds.
The pods are light brown when ripe, ribbed near the upper suture and may contain up to 20 seeds per pod.
THE SEEDS
Seeds are white and smooth with a brown seed scar that is about one-third the length of the seed.
CULINARY USES
The beans are mildly toxic, and copious consumption should be avoided. Boiling will, however, remove toxicity if done properly. Young foliage is also edible.
Very young seedpods, before the seeds swell within, can be eaten raw.
They are also cooked like French beans and used as a vegetable.
Unripe seeds are cooked and eaten like broad beans.
The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute.
Young leaves are cooked and like spinach.
Young leaves and green pods are used as vegetables.
Young pods are sliced and cooked or eaten raw.
NUTRITION
The bean is a good sources of protein, 23% to 34%, and carbohydrate 55%. It is also a good source of Ca, Zn, P, Mg, Cu and Ni. Jack bean protein is adequate in most essential amino acids with the exception of methionine and cystine which may be nutritionally limiting.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE
NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.
Traditional uses and benefits of Jack Bean
In China, the whole plant is pounded and applied to boils.
Seed is used as a bechic, stomatic, and tonic, also to strengthen the kidney.
Jack bean seed is used as an antibiotic and antiseptic in Nigeria.
Traditional medicinal uses of C. gladiata include the treatments of vomiting, abdominal dropsy, kidney-related lumbago, asthma, obesity, stomach- ache, dysentery, coughs, headache, intercostal neuralgia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, inflammatory diseases and swellings in Korea.
It is also used for treating ozena, hemorrhoids, pyorrhea, otitis media, boils, cancers, inflammatory diseases and atopic dermatitis in japan.
Jack bean extract is used in soap for the treatment of athlete’s foot and acne in Korea.
Leaves were used by the Malays in treating gonorrhea In Peninsular Malaysia.
Leaves were used with other substances in a kind of magic tonic that was squeezed into the eyes.
The plant was pounded and applied to boils.
The seeds were also used medicinally.
It is used in the treatment of vomiting, abdominal dropsy, kidney-related lumbago, asthma, obesity, stomach-ache, dysentery, coughs, headache, intercostal neuralgia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, inflammatory diseases and swellings in Korea.
Soap is marketed there which is based on extracts of jack bean; it is used for the treatment of athlete’s foot and acne.
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!
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