on mellow mallow and why you should know about this edible weed
Once I was told a story by a Jordanian lady. She told me the story of Khubeizah, a very important plant in Arabic culture, celebrated since antiquity for its benefits and as a key ingredients in many a dish, from Jordan to Egypt, Tunisia to Palestine.
The story goes that in the Middle East this common weed is known as the plant of the poor, or the Arab bread, for when situations get dire and food is scarce, people would still find mallow in abundance and get fed.
I now have a garden full of it because I love it so much. It gives me food for most of the year and needs little to no care. In my book that translates to bonus, bonus and bonus!
Mallow grows all over the world, naturalised species in all continents. In Australia, the most common exotic Mallows are Malva silvestris ( tall mallow), M. neglecta ( dwarf mallow) and the impressive M. parviflora (small flowering mallow) which is wide-spread throughout the continent, including arid inland and the tropics. There is then the native hollyhock, Malva preissiana, which is widespread in NSW, SA and WA. You are bound to find mallow in your neighbourhood if not your garden.
See here for a map>
This plant is commonly regarded as a weed but it is neither problematic nor invasive. It grows wherever there has been a disturbance but does not compromise natural bushland and does not create problems with the agricultural industry, hence it is not legislated against. SO put down your herbicide and get to know just how good this plant is. You will soon find a valuable friend.
Mallow as food.
Mallow has been recorded as an important food source as early as the third century BCE when Greek physician Diphilus commended mallow as part of a healthy diet, and later in the first century BCE, the Roman poet Horace recorded in his Ode that his diet mainly amounted to: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea levesque malvae" – As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance.
But not all of mallow’s appreciation is old news as many cultures use this common plant still today in dishes like Mallow Leaf Salad from Turkey; or Mallow Cooked in Oil from Palestine; or the Stuffed Mallow Leaves from Greece.
And there is so much more, like horta pie, mallow and bulgur grains, or tabouli…
No kidding, look into it. The internet is full of ideas for this plant. It is not a weed, it truly is food.
Click on image to see a short video on how to ID Mallow.
Identification
Mallow is easy to identify by the flower and seed pod, see below for images. It is an annual/biannual plant that at times can measure two meters tall ( M. silvestris) but mostly is a cluster of low bushes (M. neglecta and M. parviflora). It has a deep, long taproot to seek out water and nutrients. It is one of the last remaining plants alive if it has not rained for months ( handy in Australia).
The flower has five petals and the colour varies from white to pink to purple. The colour is quite important as there is a very similar plant living in the same condition and places as mallow that has a RED flower. Not pink, not purple, RED. The name of the plant ( you guessed it) is red-flowering mallow (Modiola caroiliniana). It is not a true mallow but if you harvest it by mistake don’t worry. It still is –somewhat- edible. Not great at all though, so check the colour.
The seedpod is typical of the plant, shaped like a cheese wheel, and if you break it open you will find little wedges inside ( the seeds).
As I said before there are several species in the genus around Australia but they all have similar ‘cheese’ seedpods and the (not red) five-petal flowers.
The leaves are wide, sometimes as big as 15cm, and they spread like an open palm, with 5 to 7 veins departing from the bottom base. That bottom point is darker, and in older leaves appears as purple in colour.
Mallow flower with typical five petals. The colour mauve was defined by this flowers. Mallow in French is Mauve.
Mallow leaves can get as big as 15cm wide. They have the appearance of a hand with super-short fingers. In scientific terms is called palmate leaf.
Mallow seeds. These little green seedpods are a great snack. Slimy, nutty, filling. Great to teach to the kids.
It is quite common to see mallow leaves being eaten by insects, snails, scabs and ducks. It is the sign of a well loved plant! Hehehe
Mallow as medicine.
I remember when I was a young boy mum used to take us to the local mansinoira (herbal remedy lady) whenever we had a sore tummy or were behaving restless or agitated. The herb lady invariably directed my mum to give us mallow tea to calm down the upset organs and settle down our restlessness too. True story. If you need some more peer-reviewed arguments, have a look at scientific catch up here>
Or a well-documented article about Malva silvestris ( tall mallow) here in plain English> . And here about M. neglecta ( dwarf mallow).
Mallow is used for irritation of the mouth and throat, dry cough, and bronchitis. As a tea it is used for stomach and bladder complaints. Mallow leaves are used as a poultice (a warm moist dressing) to treat open wounds. While for irritations they are laid directly on the skin or added to bathwater.
So, now you know, maybe you want to reconsider what to do with THAT mallow weed patch at the back of your garden. It’s deep roots digging up nutrients for the good of your land and its leaves providing and easy food for you and your family.
I leave you with a recipe from my family compiled by Marnee Fox for our @foragetofeastsydney events. This simple Salsa Verde (green sauce) arches back to my childhood in northern Italy where it is served with potatoes, anchovies or boiled meat.
Enjoy!
Salsa verde. Where I’m from we call it bagnet. It is delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Sow thistle leaves
1/2 cup of Mallow leaves
1 cup parsley
1 garlic clove crushed
2 teaspoons capers drained
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of red wine vinegar
½ tsp dijon mustard
Sea salt to taste
METHOD
1. Place Sow thistle, Mallow, parsley, garlic and capers in a food processor. Process until finely chopped.
2. With the motor running, add oil, vinegar, mustard and lemon juice to the mixture. Process until well combined.
3. Season with sea salt and pepper. Stand for 10 minutes.
4. Serve as a dipping sauce or use as a marinade.
Mallow marshmallows
Ratios:
80ml of water
80gm of raw sugar
80gm of raw honey
80g glucose syrup
1 tablespoon of dried & ground marshmallow root as powder
Pinch of salt
You'll need to sit at 120*C for 8 minutes in the mallow tea and sugar boiling phase - then whisk into glucose syrup and low speed blend until fluffy.
Recipe from Ziggys Wild Foods
How to forage mallow
How to make marshmallows
If you want to know more about what wild edibles you may have in your garden, have a look at this blog post, detailing 5 of the most common edible weeds or check out my book details wild edibles in Australia here>
Or have a look at these monoprints of Malva neglecta, also available through the shop. We accept orders on this one, see link for details>
Enjoy your gardens everyone, particularly if it is full of weeds!