Spekboom: A Delicious and Nutrient-Packed Succulent that’s Easy on Water

Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) is a succulent shrub, small tree, or hedge that’s simple to cultivate.

This plant naturally reaches heights of up to five meters in the wild, flourishing on steep slopes and rocky hillsides in South Africa’s Karoo and Eastern Cape regions, where it plays a crucial role in soil stabilization and erosion prevention. Additionally, it excels in carbon sequestration, actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

With its fleshy green leaves containing an impressive moisture level of over 93%, spekboom serves as a natural water source for people and wildlife alike in arid environments.

But what if we could incorporate spekboom into our meals?

We are researchers investigating how underutilized indigenous plants, crops, and insects can be transformed into safe, nutritious, and appealing foods. We already established that spekboom is a rich source of vitamin C. Thus, our research focused on two objectives. First, we analyzed the color, appearance, texture, moisture, acidity, and vitamin C content of both raw spekboom leaves and those that had been baked, stir-fried, steamed, or blanched to observe how these cooking methods altered the leaves and if they could be prepared similarly to other leafy greens.

Secondly, we assessed consumer awareness regarding spekboom as a food and their willingness to include it in their diets.

Our findings indicated that cooking made spekboom leaves lighter and softer while preserving characteristics akin to other leafy greens. Although our survey respondents were largely unfamiliar with spekboom as a food option, many expressed openness to eating and purchasing it, even without prior experience.

The advantages of raw and cooked spekboom

Raw spekboom leaves are both juicy and crunchy, offering a zesty flavor reminiscent of lemon juice. Their natural acidity lends itself well to both raw and cooked dishes, balancing out sweetness and spices. The leaves can be consumed fresh or utilized to craft tangy relishes, crunchy pickles, and delightful preserves.

To further promote spekboom consumption, we needed to identify the optimal cooking methods for everyday meals. Science honors student Rozanne MacDonald devised several spekboom recipes that we tested in our Sensory Laboratory at the University of the Free State’s Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development.

For a spekboom-and-lemon curd, we blended fresh leaves with lemon juice and cooked the mixture with eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and a touch of cornflour until it thickened, finishing it off with whisked butter. The outcome was a smooth spread with a delightful sweet-and-sour flavor that can be stored in a sterilized jar for up to ten days.

Spekboom can also enhance savory preserves. We incorporated fresh leaves into a tomato chutney made with onions, garlic, vinegar, sugar, garam masala, mustard, and herbs. The tomatoes were slowly cooked until reduced, with the spekboom added during the final thirty minutes.

Additionally, we pickled fresh leaves along with thinly sliced red onion in a warm concoction of red-wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, fennel, mustard, cinnamon, and cardamom, letting it rest for seven days prior to serving.

Dried spekboom leaves can be transformed into dukkah, a crunchy seasoning reminiscent of the Egyptian variety. We combined crushed dehydrated leaves and spekboom powder with toasted coriander, cumin, sesame and sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, peanuts, salt, and black pepper, finding that spekboom contributed acidity to the rich mixture of nuts and spices.

These culinary creations demonstrate that by balancing its lemony flavor with sweet, savory, or spicy components, we can create dishes that people genuinely enjoy.

Overall, our research revealed that the cooked leaves retained their acidity and moisture, much like other fresh leafy greens. Moreover, steaming the spekboom leaves resulted in even higher vitamin C levels compared to the raw leaves.

Will people incorporate it into their diets?

A plant can be sustainable, but if it is unappetizing, it won’t contribute to food security solutions.

We posed this question to 120 individuals. About 84% were familiar with spekboom, yet only 22% had consumed it more than once within the past year. Merely 3% recognized spekboom as a nutritious food, but 82.5% indicated they would be more inclined to try it if they knew more about its health benefits.

Overall, a significant portion of respondents showed interest in incorporating spekboom into their diets: 79.2% expressed willingness to use it in their meals, while 75% would purchase it if available in supermarkets. More than 77.5% would consider buying it if it were priced lower than other vegetables.

This indicates that spekboom is a widely acknowledged yet infrequently consumed food, and that there is a readiness to embrace it. Increased access to information about its health advantages, preparation methods, availability in stores, and competitive pricing could promote its usage as an alternative leafy vegetable.

Future Steps

South Africa’s food system is failing a significant portion of the population: poverty, inequality, and unemployment hinder many households from affording sufficient nutritious food. In 2024, around 63.5% of households lacked adequate food, with 17.5% considered critically undernourished. Incorporating indigenous plants like spekboom could enhance South Africa’s current food landscape.

Spekboom requires minimal water, thrives in poor soils, and is highly resilient. Developing shelf-stable products such as relishes and preserves could help minimize post-harvest waste and establish sustainable value chains. This creates opportunities for local agro-processing initiatives, converting backyard plants into market-ready, value-added food items.

Spekboom should not merely be regarded as an emergency food source or an exotic salad garnish. With the correct culinary approach and scientific support, our research suggests that spekboom has the potential to transition from an outdoor hedge to a staple in contemporary African kitchens.

Alba du Toit, Professor and PARC/DoA/UFS Chair: Innovative Agro-processing for Climate Smart Food Systems, University of the Free State and Faith Matiza Ruzengwe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of the Free State

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.