Say Yes to Adding This Most Nutrient-Dense Plant to Your Dishes
There are superfoods and then there are foods so densely packed with nutrients, it’s hard to believe they’re real.
That’s moringa. This leafy green grown on the Moringa or Drumstick Tree in arid, tropical climates is so loaded with nutrients, it makes kale look like junk food in comparison. It is packed with iron, beta-carotene, potassium, calcium and all nine essential amino acids. It is also said to possess potent anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties, which is where its super powers lie.
Moringa’s leaves can be eaten fresh or prepared like you would kale, spinach or any vitamin green. More importantly, it can be dried, and in its powdered form, retains all of its nutritional value.
We first encountered Moringa at a food show in San Francisco. The woman who was one of the first to import it had been in the Peace Corps in Africa, Lisa Curtis at Kuli Kuli Foods.
She saw that people were cooking it and drying it and using it as a powder and got curious.
She found that it’s used in traditional medicines, it’s a sustainable plant and doesn’t deplete the soil, is really hardy and can survive drought. She felt so good eating it and decided to champion this vegetable.
To us, the taste is somewhere between spinach and kale. If you use it fresh, it will add a slight mineral, grassy flavor which is pleasant. If you’re going to use it as a powder, it’s a great thing to slip into marinara sauce, chicken soup or a smoothie to bolster the nutrients of the dish in stealthy fashion.
We’ve used Moringa to great success in smoothies and also in our Power Balls, which taste like nutty, chocolate truffles, but are super healthy with Indio dates, nuts and seeds, single-origin cocoa and Moringa. It’s a superfood ball and with it, you can win the lottery of health and nutrition.
For a savory preparation, we add Moringa to our Spanakopita Truffles, which combine spinach with herbs, feta and other melty cheeses for a nice, savory hors d’oeuvre. People love them and the Moringa adds another really nice facet to the flavor.
