Spekboom is nutritious, water-wise and edible – so why aren’t more South Africans eating it?

Spekboom ( Portulacaria afra ) is an easy-to-grow succulent shrub, small tree, or hedge.

In the wild, it grows naturally to up to five metres tall on steep slopes and rocky hillsides in the Karoo and Eastern Cape regions of South Africa, where it helps to stabilise soil and prevent erosion.

It’s also a champion of carbon sequestration – removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Because its fleshy green leaves store an exceptionally high average moisture content of over 93%, spekboom is also a natural water source for both people and wildlife in arid regions.

But what about eating spekboom for dinner? We are scientists who explore how underused indigenous plants, crops and insects can become safe, nutritious and appealing foods.

We already know that spekboom is a good source of vitamin C .

So we set out to do two things.

First, we tested the colour, appearance, texture, moisture, acidity and vitamin C content of raw spekboom leaves and leaves that had been baked, stir-fried, steamed or blanched.

We wanted to see how cooking changed the leaves and whether they could be prepared and eaten like other leafy vegetables.

Read more: 60% of Africa’s food is based on wheat, rice and maize – the continent’s crop treasure trove is being neglected Second, we explored what consumers knew about spekboom as a food and whether they would be willing to eat it .

Our research found that cooking made spekboom leaves lighter and softer while maintaining qualities similar to other leafy green vegetables.

Although the people we surveyed knew little about spekboom as food, most were willing to eat and buy it, even though they hadn’t tried it.

The benefits of raw and cooked spekboom Raw spekboom leaves are juicy and crunchy, with a sharp taste similar to lemon juice.

Their natural acidity makes them useful in both raw and cooked dishes because it balances sweetness and spices.