Chaya
Cnidoscolus aconitifolius · Leafy green
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Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), also called tree spinach, is a fast-growing leafy shrub of the spurge family native to the Yucatán Peninsula. Its large, deeply lobed leaves are a staple cooked green across Mexico and Central America — but they must always be cooked, never eaten raw.
Picking a good onedrag
Deep green, blades firm, latex beads white at the cutYellow and limp, black at the lobes, weeping at the tie
Market freshEveryday bestStill not food until boiled: the full 15-20 minutes, in steel or clay rather than aluminium, then into tamales, soup or a saute.
The bladesGreen through, blades relaxed but whole and unbroken
Stem and cutBend a little before they snap, latex slow and thin
The liftStands a moment, then the big blades fold over slowly
Smell at the bundleGreen and neutral, almost nothing at all