Waterleaf (known in the Yoruba dialect as "gbure" "yakowa" in Hausa) has a significant place in Nigerian cuisine. It is used in a variety of stews/soups and also used in traditional medicine.
It is used with a combination of other vegetables to make delicious traditional soups such as edikang ikang. It is also used solo in other soups and as garnish for yam or plantain pottage. The lovely pink flowers are used for garnish in food presentation.
Waterleaf is a good source of many vitamins and minerals making it a highly nutritious vegetable.
Nutritional components: waterleaves are particularly high in fibre, vitamin A and C. Minerals calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron.
Other uses: the lovely pink flowers of the waterleaf plant are edible and can be included in stews/soups or used as garnish. Water leaves can also be added to smoothies and juiced.
