Callaoo!!! A toast to your good health!

Nope! Not Babaloo. Callaoo!

If you haven’t heard about this remarkable edible green, read on!

Callaloo is a popular Caribbean dish made from different leafy plants depending on local custom. In Jamaica and in Guyana the preferred leaf is from the amaranth. People associate the dish so strongly with the plant that the plant itself is often called “callaloo”.

The official name of Jamaican Callaloo is Amaranthus cruentus or “edible leaf amaranth.” Callaloo grows as an annual in the U.S. and is harvested for its leaves and seeds. Callaloo is very nutritious, containing high levels of iron, vitamins A and C, flavonoids, calcium, magnesium, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals, as well as protein. It can be used in any recipe calling for spinach or greens. In addition, an abundance of traditional Callaloo recipes can be found online. It grows well in most soil types and requires full sun and moist soil during germination (10-14 days, usually less during 70°+ weather). Afterward, keep it watered to 1″ in depth at all times. It reaches maturity in 30-40 days.

My Jamaican friends sing the praises of this plant. They say they are encouraged to eat it every day. They love it so much they are cultivating a plot of Callaoo in Texas so that they are not without and are extremely grateful to have an abundant crop during this pandemic. In Jamaica, pregnant women are encouraged to eat Callaoo just as pregnant women in the U.S. are encouraged to take their prenatal vitamins.

Interesting fact:

In Jamaica, the 2020 population is estimated at 2,961,167 people. There have been only 10 deaths due to COVID19 to date.

Interested in growing it in your garden? There are several online sources where you can purchase seeds or live plants. I love the taste and love having it as an alternative to Spinach and other greens available in most grocery stores here.