WHENEVER MY FAMILY visits each other or returns from our kampung in Kuching, Sarawak, you can be assured that there will always be packed heirloom rice to last for months, and various vegetable varieties harvested from our gardens. Favourite picks are often plump, yellow terung Dayak, pandan leaves and fresh midin ferns—these ingredients are what connects us to home.
Malaysia is home to one of the world’s richest rainforests, with an estimated 15,000 plant species. Out of these are more than 520 edible plant species, according to researcher, Rachel Thomas Tharmabalan, and 300 of these are indigenous to the country. Many of us grew up eating edible plants of some sort, whether in the form of steamed ulam or with our nasi campur.
Rachel’s research reveals that wild edible plants sustain over a billion people worldwide, and are far richer in vitamins and minerals than most commercially farmed vegetables. Studies show they can combat both malnutrition and obesity, which underscores the need to restore these micronutrient-rich traditional plants to modern diets.
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