ALL ABOUT MY “SALUYOT” (JUTE LEAVES) COOKING!

SALUYOT, also known as jute, is a green leafy vegetable that is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium. It has also been determined that 100 grams of saluyot contains an ample amount of Vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, and is also rich in fiber. With these facts alone, we can appreciate the benefits that can be derived from eating and incorporating saluyot in one’s diet. That’s what I did, almost every day. Saluyot can be found basically everywhere. From warm, tropical countries like the Philippines to tropical deserts and wet forest zones, saluyot is abundant. It does not require much attention and care, and thus, thrives without cultivation the whole year round. even here in Vienna I could buy it fresh from the farmers!

Because the saluyot or jute plant is by nature a vegetable, it is easy to prepare and can be incorporated to various dishes that would allow individuals to benefit from its vitamins and mineral content. Since it can be found easily, there are a lot of local viands and/or dishes that use saluyot as an ingredient. For instance, the Ilocanos use saluyot in their preparation of dinengdeng and bulangbulang. Fried saluyot are also mixed with sautéed bamboo shoots and dried beans. It is also integrated in mongo dishes, and in soups.

JUTE LEAVES (Saluyot) AND PEPPERS or CHILLI PEPPERS

PEPPERS Capsicum fruits and peppers can be eaten raw or cooked. Those used in cooking are generally varieties of the C. annuum and C. frutescens species, though a few others are used as well. They are suitable for stuffing with fillings such as cheese, meat or rice.

They are also frequently used both chopped and raw in salads, or cooked in stir-fries or other mixed dishes. They can be sliced into strips and fried, roasted whole or in pieces, or chopped and incorporated into salsas or other sauces.

They can be preserved in the form of a jam or by drying, pickling or freezing. Dried peppers may be reconstituted whole, or processed into flakes or powders. Pickled or marinated peppers are frequently added to sandwiches or salads. Frozen peppers are used in stews, soups, and salsas. Extracts can be made and incorporated into hot sauces.

YOU NEED…….

* about 1 kg Peppers of different colors (not hot)
* some Vegetable oil
* a bunch of Saluyot (Jute)
* Anchovy Paste
* Fish Sauce (Patis)
* 1 Onion
* a thumb-sized Ginger , sliced
* 4 cloves Garlic, just peeled added as a whole
* 2 tbsps. Vinegar
* half a cup of water or less, just enough to cook the whole thing!

HOW TO…….

**Simply heat a pan or casserole and add some vegetable oil to saute; garlic, onion and ginger a little bit.
Then add peppers, jute(saluyot) and water season with anchovy paste and cover for about 3 to 5 minutes, continue cooking over lower heat or fire until vegetables are done. Serve with fried fish or meat and rice

“SALUYOT AT LABONG” (Jute and Bamboo Shoots)

I learned this from my hubby and my mother in-law. I love the soup base of this dish with baguong sauce.
Dinendeng na labong with Saluyot is a popular dish in Northern Luzon, (the Ilocano Region) an Ilocano dish.
The Wonders of Eating Saluyot that the popular Ilocano vegetable, saluyot (jute leaves), originated in Egypt, and was the source of health and beauty of the Egyptian royalties including Cleopatra?
I don’t know if this is true…..maybe…..

In Philippine cuisine, they are called “Labong”. Two most popular dish for this is the “Ginataang Labong” (labong with coconut milk and chilies) and “Dinengdeng na Labong” (labong in fish bagoong with string beans, saluyot, and tinapa).
While “saluyot” in english JUTE, is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. The leaves are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and Vitamin C. The plant has an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent Vitamin E. Diversified byproducts from jute can be used in cosmetics, medicine, paints, and other products.

YOU NEED…….

* Fish fried or “inihaw” ( you can use alumahan, maya-maya or bangus)
* 1 can Labong (bamboo shoots)
* a bunch of saluyot (jute)
* 1 onion, sliced
* 3-4 cups of water
* 4-5 tbsps. baguong balayan (anchovy sauce)

HOW TO…….

SALUYOT AT BANGUS (DINENGDENG)

Dinengdeng (also called inabraw) is a dish of the Ilocano people of the Philippines, similar to pinakbet. It is classified as a bagoong soup based dish. Unlike pinakbet, dinengdeng contains fewer vegetables and contains more bagoong soup base.

The dish contains the following vegetables: jute leaves, the pods and leaves of the horseradish tree, the leaves and fruits of bitter melon, the calabaza squash and blossoms, alakon blossoms, amaranth leaves, sweet potato tubers and leaves, kabatiti gourd, string beans and shoots, talinum, chayote squash and shoots, chili peppers, banana blossoms, corn, West-Indian pea blossoms, tabungaw gourd, winter melon, eggplant, okra, winged bean, parda beans, lima beans, various mushrooms like oyster mushrooms, whole taro, cassava tubers, purple yams, and wild potatoes.

Some add leftover fried fish, or other meats, to the dish.
But here it is totally different!
I fried the bangus (milkfish), added in green beans, squash or kalabasa, various mushrooms,and saluyot or jute ( dried ones) and seasoned with anchovy sauce.

YOU NEED…….

* 1 tomatoe
* half a head squash
* 1 fried Bangus
* 200 g green beans
* 1 bunch of Saluyot or Jute
* 1 tsp. powdered garlic
* 1 tsp. powdered Ginger
* about 150 g various mushrooms
* 1/2 cup water
* Anchovy sauce

HOW TO…….