Recipes for Hotness: Camote Tops Salad

Warning: Recipe is pretty short and so damn easy. It’s my story that’s pretty long ^^

Camote Tops = Wild Sweet Potato Leaves
The Sweet Potato is like some distant cousin of the potato as we know it. ^^ Sweet Potatoes, not to be confused with yams, are starchy and sweet and are few of the crops of its kind that are actually edible.. yep, most of ‘em are poisonous. One time, boyfie planned on purchasing this wild yam locally known as “nami “/”namo”. It’s a vine with a light-brown, knotty, alkaloid-containing rootstock and is toxic to the body; still, it is used as an ingredient in some native dishes. Boyfie said the Bikol Agtas (a term that refers to Bikol’s tens of thousands of natives with dark-colored skin, kinky hair and short built who reside mostly in the mountains and have been able to successfully preserve their indigenous culture) have a way of removing the poison from the root crop, mainly by soaking it in running water for days. I remembered my experience of trading goods with some of the natives when I was a kid; they went down from the mountains to the city and my mom let me bring out some clothes which the women exchanged with bananas and root crops, mostly Camote. I remembered there was a little girl too, like me; I bet my clothes fitted her perfectly. I just hope she didn’t get teased for rockin’ too much sequins; I’m cray cray over sequins even when I was a little gir.l Anyway, boyfie’s family’s housekeeper, Del, relayed a story in which she sampled some Namo and almost died from it. According to her she was throwing up while crawling for her life on the floor; ok so I kinda burst out laughing coz seriously!! WHAT WAS SHE THINKING??! And what in tha hell was boyfie thinking, going up the mountains, looking for this root crop?! I had to throw a fit just so he would swear he won’t eat one. Gotta tell ya that man has balls but for the meantime, they’re mine for safekeeping… ^^ Ok back to the Camote Tops! In the Philippines, Camote Tops practically springs up just about everywhere that they’re so cheap, like P6.00 for a nice little bundle. When boiled, the Camote makes a pretty yummy and filling snack especially when you roll it on some Muscovado Sugar; both the root as well as the leaves are used in many popular Filipino dishes but let’s just focus on the leaves. Behold, the delicious, nutritious Camote Tops Salad:

camote tops salad

Camote Tops Salad Recipe
You’ll need:

Well-washed Camote tops

Well-washed Tomatoes

Sliced Onions

Calamansi/ Lemon

A pinch of salt

*as for the amount of ingredients, simply adjust according to preference

Now, blanch the Camote Tops. Just pour hot water over the leaves quicky; don’t overcook them. Drain. Put on a plate. Add a pinch of salt, top with sliced tomatoes and onions, squeeze some calamansi on it, mix, and Bon Appetit! Seriously. It’s that easy ^^

xO- kz