The Local’s Superfood – Moringa Oleifera (Kelor)
Have you ever heard of Moringa? Or the drumstick tree?
If you haven’t, you should probably find out more, as this plant has been known for its health benefits for thousands of years.
However, due to the lack of local knowledge and promotion in our generation, we know Moringa tree as a wild plant growing. At the most, Indonesians traditionally use Moringa leaves to cast out bad spirits. Yikes!
In places where food is a scarcity, Moringa leaves and pods are used to combat malnutrition. They are rich in protein, vitamin A, B2, B6, C, iron and magnesium. It is also rich in antioxidants and known to reduce blood sugar level, cholesterol and inflammation.
There is many ways to consume Moringa. My favorite way is to add fresh leaves into soup or salad. Also, Moringa leaves can be dehydrated into green powders that can be blended into your daily juices and add natural green coloring and nutrition to your cookies or cakes.
Not only is Moringa useful to our body, it is also a good plant to plant around the farm. Moringa tree is a legume that can capture Nitrogen into the soil that will benefit the plants around it. It is also a hardy plant that can grow in drought areas and are not affected much by heavy rain.
When we first came to the land, where Blueboots Farm is today, we found Moringa trees growing healthily across the land. We decided to keep the trees and let them grow as they were. Blueboots Farm team is currently experimenting to process Moringa so it can be used with convenience in domestic households. Hopefully it will be available for Blueboots Farm customers soon!