Callaloo seeds (wanted)

[pineandpear]

Does anyone have any callaloo seeds I could possibly have? I only need a few as they really spread and always return year after year.

I could swop for a something else...

[francesbean]

Ive been wondering about calaloo too! Even ifsomeone knows of a source to buy Id be interested.

francesbean

[mapcr77]

Isn't callaloo ordinary amaranth?

[pineandpear]

I have wiki'd Amaranth and the attachment below is listed on the topic regarding the Vegetable Form: Notice the 3rd paragraph, it mentions in the Caribbean...

Thanks for this mapcr77, do you know where I can get Amaranth seeds?!

Vegetables
Amaranth species are cultivated and consumed as a leaf vegetable in many parts of the world. There are 4 species of Amaranthus documented as cultivated vegetables in eastern Asia: Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus blitum, Amaranthus dubius, and Amaranthus tricolor.[10]

In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam, while the Tagalogs in the Philippines call the plant kulitis. In Andhra Pradesh, India, this leaf is added in preparation of a popular dal called thotakura pappu. In China, the leaves and stems are used as a stir-fry vegetable and called yin choi (苋菜; pinyin: xiàncài; and variations on this transliteration in various dialects). In Congo it is known as lenga lenga or biteku teku.[11]

In the Caribbean the leaves are called callaloo and are sometimes used in a soup called pepperpot soup.

In East Africa Amaranth leaf is known in Swahili as mchicha ("a vegetable for all"). It is sometimes recommended by some doctors for people having low red blood cell count. In West Africa, Nigeria, it is known in Yoruba as efo tete or arowo jeja ("we have money left over for fish"). It is a common vegetable, and it goes with all Nigerian carbohydrate dishes.

[phil the shed]

bloody calaloo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it tastes good it seeds itself and it will plague your plot for ever
reseeding itself is not the word.
you only have to miss one flower head and your in trouble.
i inherited my plot from a jamaican who had a bajain on one side and an antiguan on the other and they tell me it all started with a few seeds.
they haven't planted it for over twenty years and they still harvest loads each year.

we steam the young leaves like spinach but the thicker steams can be steamed or boild when cut in to 2 inch lengths

[mapcr77]

It's widely available in the UK, but you wont find it in the vegetables sections, as it is sold as an ornamental. Nicky's seeds has a large selection of amaranthus: Amaranthus seeds Love Lies Bleeding

[mapcr77]

it tastes good it seeds itself and it will plague your plot for ever
reseeding itself is not the word.
you only have to miss one flower head and your in trouble.
i inherited my plot from a jamaican who had a bajain on one side and an antiguan on the other and they tell me it all started with a few seeds.
they haven't planted it for over twenty years and they still harvest loads each year.

we steam the young leaves like spinach but the thicker steams can be steamed or boild when cut in to 2 inch lengths

Can you post a pic of what the seedlings look like? I've seen some 'weed' seedlings that look a lot like my huauzontle seedlings (sort of close relative to amaranthus), so I'm always wondering if i'm getting rid of something useful!

[pineandpear]

It's widely available in the UK, but you wont find it in the vegetables sections, as it is sold as an ornamental. Nicky's seeds has a large selection of amaranthus: Amaranthus seeds Love Lies Bleeding

Just to clarify is the 'ornamental' Amaranthus still good to eat?

[mapcr77]

I think so Peneandpear, that's why i asked if they were the same, as Christine Walken said that a couple of weeks in Amateur Gardening. hth

[pineandpear]

Thanks again. I will get on the trail for Amaranthus seeds and see how I get on.

Bought some delicious callaloo cooked with hot peppers, onion and salt fish from a Jamaican take away today... Mmmm, so nice you do not want it to finish!

I have bought it fresh (still with mud on!) many times and cooked it, but I would really love to be able to grow AND cook my own.

[pineandpear]

For all those who would like Callaloo seeds, I found them in Focus (DIY Store) yesterday!

They have a 'world seed' section and there they were, with the wording 'Amaranth and Callaloo' on the packet.

Lots of other good stuff there too, which was a surprise.

[mapcr77]

So in the end ornamental amaranth indeed was the same as calalloo? What else was there that you recommend?

[pineandpear]

I also bought Okra and Beef Tomatoes. But they had tonnes of other stuff too...

[Maximillian]

Hi would it be a trek to come to sw London? I have callaloo seedlings. I will check if I have seedlings left tho

[Maximillian]

I bought mine from chiltern seeds and they are labelled calaloo not amarynth on there packs