Sukuma Wiki – Vegetable lifesaver for millions

Sukuma wiki is the nickname for a green leafy vegetable eaten in Kenya. Because it is cheap but nutritious, Sukuma wiki has become a lifesaver for millions of people living in Kenya.

Sukuma wiki literally means ‘push the week’ in Kenya’s national language, Kiswahili, which is spoken throughout the country. This refers to the lime vegetable’s rescue role as a sustaining food for many families, especially when the wallet is thin.

A few leaves of the vegetable, washed and cut into thin strips and then fried in a little oil with a little onion, and served with ugali – cornmeal bread – is enough for a meal. You can vary this basic recipe by adding a little egg to the vegetables, or adding tomatoes, or spices like curry, or serving it with meat.

Sukuma wiki is virtually unknown in neighboring Uganda, but the few who cook it may add raw peanut powder for added nutritional value.

The vegetable grows well in the sandy soils of the Rift Valley. A garden that is watered every evening and occasionally fortified with organic fertilizer can produce fresh leaves every day for harvest.

After a while, the plants get too old and then it’s time to cut them down and plant new ones. Old plants are recognized by the fact that they begin to produce seeds, while producing fewer and smaller leaves, which may have a slightly bitter aftertaste.

But this happens after the plants have produced a more than satisfactory amount of large, pale green leaves for several months.

The special thing about sukuma wiki is that a small amount can go a long way, making it a favorite option when there is little money to spend on food. Also, it does not have to be prepared with any other additives to provide a tasty meal. Just the vegetable fried in a minimum amount of cooking oil and a little salt is enough.

In addition, the vegetable is easy to maintain. It can grow on almost any small plot of land with minimal amounts of water and care.

Sukuma wiki does its fair share for the economy. It is the basis for a vibrant market economy, providing a livelihood for many small farmers with little more than a garden, as well as intermediate traders such as market people.

There are probably many other foods in Kenya that enjoy more prestige than sukuma wiki, but this vegetable is sure of its lifesaver role when once again asked to push the week!