Common Marrow – Malva neglecta – is part of the family of Malvaceae

Cyprus is  mostly a dry arid region, in the winter months when it rains the whole island starts to become green. If you get out in the countryside or just in a vacant field you will find this super weed.

Mallow is an edible plant and is eaten boiled with olive oil, made scrambled with eggs or mainly as a soup. You can dry the leaves and drink it as an herbal tea made from the stems and flowers. It is also used in smoothies, added with a little honey because it can be slightly bitter.

It has many medicinal qualities its rich in Vitamin A and C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and selenium.

Mallow is good for urinary tract infections, can help for ulcers, used as an anti-inflammatory, laxative, calms the stomach and expels mucus and helps sinus.

Well what a great wild food to have outside free of charge.

My father is a great fan of Molocha soup as he calls it.  He is the specialist Molocha picker. In his youth days my grandmother would tell him to go out in the fields to collect moloches, so she could make the soup. It’s nice to carry on the tradition, so if you like just go and pick your food.

Ok so I’m going to show you how to recognize the plant and give you a simple recipe that my mum makes to keep my father happy.

Recognizing the leaf, when you forage threw the fields. They are quite easy to identify they are circular to kidney shaped. They grow up to 60cm.

And here my father picking the Mallow stems, finding the fresh shoots which are shinny and silky.

Freshly cut stems, cleaned up and ready to cook, make sure you wash them well.

This recipe is actually my mum’s version and we love it, hope you like it too.

Molochia Soup recipe

8 cups of vegetable broth

450g of chopped fresh mallow leaves and stems

1 medium sized onion, diced

150g of rice

1 tbs, extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. garlic, minced or garlic powder

Salt/Black pepper for taste

Directions:

1. Chop up leaves and stems into small pieces
2. Add oil in saucepan and fry the onions and garlic until slightly soft
3. Add the broth
4. Add the leaves, salt, and black pepper
5. Stir, reduce heat and simmer for 20 min
6. When simmered for 20 minutes let it cool slightly and liquidize
7. Serve hot

Serve it with hot with goulouri Cypriot bread

Kalli orexi