CHRIMI News

Malunggay a.k.a. Moringa oleifera, is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree.

It has actually been dubbed “the most nutritious plant in the world. The malunggay has so many uses that it is being promoted as   “the miracle tree”.  The leaves, fruits, and seeds of malunggay are used  for food , it contains vitamins A, B and C, and has more calcium, niacin, thiamin, phosphorus, ascorbic acid and iron than most vegetables.

Nutrition experts claim that 100 grams of malunggay leaves provide 75 calories of food energy, 6 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 353 milligrams of calcium.

Fresh, dried or powdered, the leaves can be turned into almost anything edible. Aside from the usual ingredient in salads and viands, malunggay leaves  can be turned into noodles, cookies, crostini, cupcake, munchkin, pastillas, patties, polvoron, pretzels, sugarbread, pan de sal, puto, cutchinta, bibingka, lugao and even ice cream. Dried and powdered, they can be used as tea or coffee.

And the brown seeds can even be develop as  bio fuel.

In the Philippines, this is being promoted as a cost efficient way to address malnutrition and poverty. The gov’t and NGO’s are taking the lead not only in the research and development of malunggay products, but also in the planting of malunggay in every backyard.