Mulukhiyah

{{Short description|Jute-leaf dish from Egypt}} {{multiple issues|section=| {{more citations needed|date=September 2021}} {{more footnotes needed|date=September 2021}} }} {{Infobox food | name = Mulukhiyah | image = Molokheya_Egypt,_2012.JPG | caption = [[Egypt]]ian molokhiya | alternate_name = molokhiyyah, molokhiyya | country = [[Ancient Egypt]]<ref name="Africa">{{citation|title=Molokhia – The soup that was once only the privy of the Pharaohs|work=Foods From Africa |url=https://foodsfromafrica.com/egyptian-recipe-molokhia/|date=2017-06-05}}</ref><ref name="Cumo2013">{{cite book|author=Christopher Cumo|title=Encyclopedia of Cultivated Plants: From Acacia to Zinnia [3 Volumes]: From Acacia to Zinnia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ja7WAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA315|year=2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=978-1-59884-775-8|page=315}}</ref> | region = | national_cuisine = | creator = | type = Soup | course = Side dish | served = | main_ingredient = [[Corchorus olitorius|Jute]]; [[Beef stock|beef]] or [[chicken stock]] | minor_ingredient = | variations = | calories = | similar_dish = | other = }}

'''Mulukhiyah''' ({{langx|ar|ملوخية|mulūkhiyyah}}), also known as '''mulukhiyya''', '''molokhiyya''', '''melokhiyya''', '''molohiya''' or '''ewédú''', is a type of jute plant and a dish made from the leaves of ''[[Corchorus olitorius]]'', commonly known in English as '''jute''', '''[[Jew's mallow|Jew's-mallow]]''', '''nalta jute''', or '''tossa jute'''.<ref>{{GRIN | ''Corchorus olitorius'' | 11458 | access-date = 21 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="Danukeisduke">[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Corchorus_olitorius.html "Corchorus olitorius"], New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Corchorus olitorius |url=https://www.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?g=pe&p=Corchorus+olitorius |website=PROTA4U – Plant Resources of Tropical Africa |publisher=PROTA Foundation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251201234252/https://prota.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?g=pe&p=Corchorus%20olitorius |archive-date=2025-12-01 |access-date=2025-12-02 }}</ref> It is used as a [[vegetable]] and is mainly eaten in [[Egypt]], [[the Levant]] (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus), [[Sudan]], [[Libya]], [[Tunisia]], [[Nigeria]], and [[Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cypriot Molokhia Recipe |url=https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/taste-of-cyprus/local-food/cypriot-molokhia-recipe/ |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=in-cyprus.philenews.com |date=21 September 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> It is called ''saluyot'' in the Philippines. ''Mulukhiyah'' is rather bitter, and when boiled, the resulting liquid is a thick, highly [[mucilage|mucilaginous]] broth; it is often described as "slimy", rather like cooked [[okra]].<ref name="Koleisthebest">{{cite book|author=Chittaranjan Kole|title=Wild Crop Relatives: Genomic and Breeding Resources: Industrial Crops|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_YC6skliE4C&pg=PA59|date=24 August 2011|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-3-642-21102-7|pages=54–56}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Rough Guides|title=Pocket Rough Guide Dubai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oivQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA143|date=3 March 2014|publisher=Rough Guides Limited|isbn=978-1-4093-7122-9|page=143}}</ref>

''Mulukhiyah'' is generally eaten cooked, not raw, and it is either eaten chopped and [[sautéed]] in oil, garlic and cilantro like in [[Lebanon]] and [[Syria]] or turned into a kind of [[soup]] or [[stew]] like in [[Egypt]], typically bearing the same name as the vegetable in the local language. Traditionally, mulukhiyah is cooked with chicken or at least chicken stock for flavor and is served with white rice, accompanied with lemon or lime. In Tunisia, the dish is prepared with jute powder instead of the leaves and cooked with lamb or beef to be served with bread. In Haiti, a dish prepared from jute leaves is called ''lalo''.

== Origins and history == Most scholars are of the opinion that mulukhiyah's origins lie in [[Ancient Egypt]],<ref name="Africa" /><ref name="Cumo2013" /> namely ''[[Corchorus capsularis]]'',<ref name="Grubben2004">{{cite book|author=G. J. H. Grubben|title=Vegetables|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6jrlyOPfr24C|year=2004|publisher=PROTA|location=Wageningen, Netherlands|isbn=978-90-5782-147-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6jrlyOPfr24C/page/n218 218]}}</ref> which is used for food as well as for fiber.<ref name=Koleisthebest/><ref name=SE/>

Mulukhiyah was a known dish in the Medieval Arab world. The recipe on how to prepare it is mentioned in the 14th-century Arabic book ''Kanz el-Fawa'ed fi Tanwi' el-Mawa'ed''. According to the Egyptian historian [[al-Maqrizi]] (d. 1442),<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Salloum|first1=Habeeb|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3-UvrmTZfqQC&q=mulukhiyah&pg=PA14|title=Scheherazade's Feasts: Foods of the Medieval Arab World|last2=Elias|first2=Leila Salloum|last3=Salloum|first3=Muna|date=2013-06-14|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0-8122-4477-9|pages=126–127|language=en}}</ref> mulukhiyah was the favorite dish of caliph [[Muawiyah I|Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan]] ({{Reign|661|680}}) the founder of the [[Umayyad Caliphate]]. Furthermore, on the 7th of Muharram in the year 395 [[Hijri year|AH]] (1005 AD) the [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]] ruler of Egypt [[Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah|el-Hakem be Amr Ellah]] (The Governor by the Order of God)({{Reign|996|1021}}) issued a decree which prohibited his subjects from eating the mulukhiyah, which was thought to be an [[aphrodisiac]]. However, his successor caliph [[Al-Zahir li-i'zaz Din Allah|al-Zahir]] ({{Reign|1021|1035}}) permitted the eating of mulukhiyah again.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Druze]], who hold Al-Hakim in high regard and give him quasi-divine authority, continue to respect the ban, and do not eat mulukhiyah of any kind to this day.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indigenous Peoples: An Encyclopedia of Culture, History, and Threats to Survival [4 volumes]|first=Victoria |last=R. Williams|year= 2020| isbn= 9781440861185| page =318|publisher=ABC-CLIO|quote=}}</ref>

== Culinary varieties ==

===Egyptian cuisine=== [[File:"Arya" molokhia Corchorus olitorius Pilangsari 2019 1.jpg|thumb]] [[File:"Arya" molokhia Corchorus olitorius Pilangsari 2019 4.jpg|thumb]] [[File:Corchorus olitorius (1459401640).jpg|thumb]] [[File:Corchorus colitorius saluyot leaves.jpg|thumb]] [[File:Molokhia.JPG|thumb]] [[File:Molokhia 2.JPG|thumb]] [[File:Molokheya hi res.JPG|thumb|Egyptian Molokhiyya]] As used in [[Egyptian cuisine]], ''{{transl|arz|molokhiyya}}'' ({{IPA|arz|moloˈxejjæ}}) is prepared by removing the stem from the leaves, and then chopping the leaves finely. It is mixed with [[garlic]] and [[coriander]]. The dish generally includes some sort of [[meat]]; in Egypt, this is usually [[Chicken as food|chicken]] or [[domestic rabbit|rabbit]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taste.com.au/kitchen/recipes/rabbit+molokhia,8279|title=Rabbit molokhia|author=NewsLifeMedia|work=taste.com.au}}</ref><ref name="DetailsofMulukhiya" /> but [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] is preferred when available, particularly in [[Cairo]]. Cooks in [[Alexandria]] often opt to use [[Shrimp and prawn as food|shrimp]] in the soup, while [[Port Said]] is famous for using [[Fish as food|fish]].<ref name="Latimes">{{cite web |last1=Rochlin |first1=Margy |title=Why you should be eating molokhia and how to make this delicious superfood soup |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-fo-co-molokhia-20181205-story.html |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=17 February 2019 |location=[[Los Angeles]]|date=2018-12-05 }}</ref><ref name="Shihabrecipe" /><ref name="AndersonRecipe" /><ref name="DetailsofMulukhiya" />

''{{transl|arz|Molokhiyya}}'' was consumed in [[ancient Egyptian cuisine]], where the name "{{transl|arz|molokhiyya}}" is thought to have originated.<ref name="DetailsofMulukhiya" /><ref name="ME21" />

Many [[Egyptians]] consider {{transl|arz|molokhiyya}} to be the national dish of Egypt, along with ''[[ful medames]]'' and ''[[kushari]]''.<ref name="DetailsofMulukhiya">{{cite book|author=James J. Heaphey|title=Legerdemain: The President's Secret Plan, the Bomb and What the French Never Knew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o4zxAAAAMAAJ|access-date=17 February 2019|edition=1|date=January 2008|publisher=History Publishing Co. LLC|location=[[Madison, Wisconsin]]|isbn=978-1-933909-35-6|pages=186–191}}</ref><ref name="ME21">{{cite book|author=Joseph R. Haiek|title=Mideast Business Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zzccAQAAMAAJ|access-date=17 February 2019|edition=1|year=1977|publisher=Los Angeles Mideast business exchange|location=[[Los Angeles]]|isbn=978-0-915652-02-0|pages=290–292}}</ref>

The Egyptian style of preparing {{transl|arz|molokhiyya}} is distinctive, and is particularly different from the Levantine variant. The {{transl|arz|molokhiyya}} leaves are picked off the stem, with tall stemmed branches. Sometimes the leaves are dried for preservation by leaving them on a large sheet (cloth material) to be left to completely dry for later use.<ref name="ME21" /> This is referred to as "dried {{transl|arz|molokhiyya}}". The dish can be prepared with both fresh and dried leaves, with some variation in taste.

Upon preparation the leaves are chopped finely, often with a [[mezzaluna]]. The leaves are then boiled in broth; if meat or seafood is being used, it is added at this point, and may be bone-in or boneless.<ref name=AndersonRecipe>{{cite book|author=Lynne Christy Anderson|title=Breaking Bread: Recipes and Stories from Immigrant Kitchens|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fbMwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA273|date=September 2011|publisher=Univ of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-27143-2|pages=273–274}}</ref><ref name=DetailsofMulukhiya/> Coriander and garlic are fried separately in ghee or oil to make the ''ta'leyya'' ({{lang|arz|تقليه}}, literally "a frying" or "fried thing"), and then added to the soup at the end while the ''ta'leyya'' is still sizzling.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The soup is served on cooked white rice or with a side of Egyptian flatbread (''ʿeish baladi''). The dish is often accompanied with an assortment of pickled vegetables, known as ''mekhallel'' or ''torshi'' in Egypt. Tomato sauce, vinegar, and other condiments may also be present.<ref name=AndersonRecipe/><ref name=SE>{{cite book|author1=Habeeb Salloum|author2=Leila Salloum Elias|author3=Muna Salloum|title=Scheherazade's Feasts: Foods of the Medieval Arab World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3-UvrmTZfqQC&pg=PA127|date=14 June 2013|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0-8122-4477-9|pages=127–129}}</ref><ref name=DetailsofMulukhiya/><ref name=ME21/>

===Levantine cuisine=== [[File:Syrian Mlokhia.jpg|thumb|[[Levantine cuisine|Levantine-style]] mulukhiya]] The standard molokhia dish in the [[Levant]] is prepared by cooking a meat of some sort in a separate pot by boiling. Later garlic is cooked to a simmer, then water and chicken stock cubes are added to form a broth. After boiling, the cooked chicken or meat with the broth coriander and molokhia leaves are added and further cooked another 15 minutes. It is served with white rice and fresh lemon. Also, in northern [[Lebanon]], a dish called ''mloukhiye b zeit'' is made using fresh leaves and shoots of the [[Corchorus olitorius|Nalta jute]] plant, cooked in olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes and chilli peppers; it is a popular summer side dish, especially in [[Miniyeh-Danniyeh District|Miniyeh-Danniyeh]] and [[Akkar District|Akkar]] districts.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Bedouins have an old tradition of cooking a different version of the dish. A whole chicken is cut open, the intestines removed, and the innards stuffed with herbs, spices and raw rice then sewn shut with thick thread. The chicken is then boiled to create the broth for the molokhia soup which, after preparation, is served as five separate components: The molokhia soup, Arabic flat bread, the chicken (stuffed with flavored rice), additional plain rice, and a small bowl with a mixture of lemon juice and sliced chilli. The soup is mixed with rice and lemon juice according to taste, while the chicken is eaten on a separate plate.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

===Tunisia=== [[File:ملوخية تونسية.JPG|thumb|Tunisian molokhiyya]] In [[Tunisia]], the dish is generally prepared quite differently from the Egyptian method. The leaves, already separated from the stems, are dried then ground to produce a very fine powder and stored in jars or other tightly closed containers. The powder is prepared with olive oil and some sometimes tomato paste into a sauce, not soup, and big chunks of chuck beef are often added halfway through cooking. The dark green sauce simmers on low heat and is left to thicken to the consistency of tomato sauce. The sauce is served in small deep plates with a piece of beef and eaten with preferably white hearty traditional bread. In certain regions where beef is not common, lamb is used but cooks for a much shorter time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tunisian Mloukhia Recipe |url=https://www.ourtunisiantable.com/home/2021/4/13/tunisian-mloukhia-recipe |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Our Tunisian Table |date=13 April 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rekik |first=Rahma |date=2021-02-26 |title=Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma's Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!) |url=https://carthagemagazine.com/tunisian-mloukhiya/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Carthage Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Kenyan cuisine=== In [[Kenya]], the dish is known as ''murere'' ([[Luhya language|Luhya]]), murenda, ''apoth'' ([[Dholuo|Luo]]), and several other native language names. It is a very popular vegetable dish among communities in the Western region ([[Bungoma County|Bungoma]], [[Busia County|Busia]], [[Kakamega County|Kakamega]], [[Trans-Nzoia County|Trans-Nzoia]] and [[Vihiga County|Vihiga]] counties) and in Nyanza region ([[Homa Bay County|Homa Bay]], [[Kisii County|Kisii]], [[Kisumu County|Kisumu]], [[Migori County|Migori]], [[Nyamira County|Nyamira]] and [[Siaya County|Siaya]] counties). Both regions are in the area around [[Lake Victoria]]. The jute leaves are separated from the stems, washed, and then boiled in lightly salted water with ''ligadi'' (a raw form of sodium bicarbonate), or ''munyu'' (traditional plant-based salt). The leaves are boiled with other leafy vegetables such as ''likuvi'' ([[cowpea]] leaves) or ''mito'' (''[[Crotalaria longirostrata|chipilín]]'') to reduce their sliminess and help soften the other vegetable leaves. In some cases, after boiling for about thirty minutes, the vegetables are stewed with tomatoes and onions in oil. (There are several general ways to prepare the mutere and more ways in which it is served). Spices such as curry, pepper, masala, or coriander are optional. Mutere is served with [[ugali]] (a staple stuff, cooked cereal meal) and can be accompanied with meat or chicken.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

===West African cuisines=== Among the Yorubas in [[Nigeria]], [[Benin]] and [[Togo]] it is called ''[[Ewedu soup|ewedu]]''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tayo |date=2020-10-04 |title=Ewedu Soup |url=https://lowcarbafrica.com/ewedu-soup-nigerian-soup/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Low Carb Africa |language=en-US}}</ref> and served with cooked yam flour (''[[Amala (food)|amala]]''). In [[Liberia]], it is called ''palaver sauce'', and is served with rice or fufu. In [[The Gambia]], it is referred to as ''kereng-kereng'' and is typically used to make ''supakanja'' (a dish mostly served on Saturdays and made with okra, red [[palm oil]], fish and meat).{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

In [[Ghana]], it is known as ''ademe ewe'' or ''ayoyo'' leaves and used to make accompanying soups for ''banku'' (a corn cassavas dough dish) or cooked rice).{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

===Cypriot cuisine=== In Cyprus, the dish is known as ''molohiya''. It is popular among the [[Greek Cypriots]] and [[Turkish Cypriots]]. The jute leaves are cultivated and grown in the spring, whereupon they are harvested and the leaves are separated from the stem and dried whole. They are cooked in a tomato-based broth with onions and garlic. Lamb on the bone or chicken with bone may also be added. For optimal results, lemon and potato are also used to help keep the consistency from becoming too mucilaginous or slimy. It is served with a broth consistency with sourdough bread.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.madebythechef.com/molohiya-a-traditional-cypriot-dish/ | title=Molohiya - a traditional cypriot dish | work=Made By The Chef | date=28 January 2021 }}</ref>

=== Haitian cuisine === [[File:Muluchiya pflanze2020.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Plant]] In [[Haiti]], the leafy green dish is commonly known as ''[[Lalo (food)|Lalo]]'' and is traditionally cooked with or without meat. When considering meat, Haitians utilize beef or pork shoulder. Seafood such as blue crabs, shrimp or snow crab legs are also options. It is traditionally served with white rice.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

== Nutrition == The leaves are rich in [[folate]], [[beta-carotene]], [[iron]], [[calcium]], [[vitamin C]] and more than 32 vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The plant has a potent [[antioxidant]] activity with a significant [[α-tocopherol]] equivalent [[vitamin E]].<ref name=Danukeisduke/><ref name="Cassinleaves">{{cite book|author=Barbara Cassin|title=L' Archipel des idées de Barbara Cassin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1JHlJ6_raYC&pg=PA253|date=10 July 2014|publisher=Les Editions de la MSH|isbn=978-2-7351-1699-7|pages=209–212}}{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Tung-Shan |last2=Saad |first2=Sohair |title=Folic acid in Egyptian vegetables: The effect of drying method and storage on the folacin content of mulukhiyah (corchorus olitorius) |journal=Ecology of Food and Nutrition |date=31 August 2010 |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=249–255 |doi=10.1080/03670244.1981.9990646 }}</ref><ref name=Shihabrecipe>{{cite book|author=Sana Nimer Abu Shihab|title=Mediterranean Cuisine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7kgVTx41NbYC&pg=PA56|year=2012|publisher=Author House|isbn=978-1-4772-8309-7|pages=56–57}}</ref>

==Ancient references== The word for the plant is found in ancient Mediterranean languages such as Egyptian and Greek.<ref name="oed">{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mallow&allowed_in_frame=0|title=mallow|author=Douglas Harper|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=February 3, 2012}}</ref> [[Cognate]]s of the word include [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|μαλάχη}} (''malákhē'') or {{lang|grc|μολόχη}} (''molókhē''), [[Modern Greek]] {{lang|el|μολόχα}} (''molókha''), [[Egyptian Arabic]] {{lang|arz|ملوخيه}} (''molokhiyyah'') and [[Modern Hebrew]] {{lang|he|מלוחיה}} (''malukhia'').<ref name="oed"/><ref name="khalid">{{cite web|url=http://baheyeldin.com/egypt/molokheya-an-egyptian-national-dish.html|title=Molokheya: an Egyptian National Dish|author=Khalid|publisher=The Baheyeldin Dynasty|access-date=September 10, 2011}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Egypt|Food}} * [[List of Middle Eastern dishes]] * [[List of African dishes]]

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tz57CLXuKtw&pp=ygUPI2p1dGVsZWF2ZXNjaGFw Youtube] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe7.shtml Mulukhiyya recipe] {{commons category|Molokheya}}

[[Category:Ancient dishes]] [[Category:Egyptian cuisine]] [[Category:Algerian cuisine]] [[Category:Arab cuisine]] [[Category:Cypriot cuisine]] [[Category:Fiber plants]] [[Category:Grewioideae]] [[Category:Jute]] [[Category:Leaf vegetables]] [[Category:Lebanese cuisine]] [[Category:Jordanian cuisine]] [[Category:Mediterranean cuisine]] [[Category:National dishes]] [[Category:Palestinian cuisine]] [[Category:Syrian cuisine]] [[Category:Cuisine of Northern Cyprus]] [[Category:Rabbit dishes]]