That funny looking green in so many Asian grocery stores here in the US,

Kapidolo Farms

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
5,173
Location (City and/or State)
South of Southern California, but not Mexico
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_aquatica

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/136

Water spinach, Water Morning glory, Hollow shoot water plant, etc has so many names depending on the language of the produce guy at the market. I ate much of this when I traveled in Viet Nam, and at a few wonderful 'Chinese" restaurants in Manhattan's Chinatown.

One dish has a black bean sauce and my mouth waters thinking about it.

@Fredkas asked my about this as a second language speaker. I'm not so good at English sometimes let alone any other language.

The wiki page is available in many languages.

In short Water Spinach is an acceptable food item, it is in the same genus as sweet potato. Sweet potato leaves are okay to feed as well.

This is also the same family as morning glory which the TTT forbids. They are extremely conservative. If anything it is likely high in oxolates, so fed sparingly if you are an oxolate-phob is okayish.

Let the debate and counter -pedia POV begin!!!!
 

Fredkas

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
936
Yes thank you will.
It is yummy for me too @Linhdan Nguyen lol.
But the information about it for tort is not much. My country has the list and it is categorized as good food, but really i can't believe it. I am sorry but my country information is like the conservative vet that we all trying to avoid. To be honest, i just believe what tortoiseforum said.
So like will said, please throw any comment, debate whatsoever!!!
The doubtness comes from water spinach has high oxalic acid that people believe will bind the calcium and make it useless for tort.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,391
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi oxalic content means you should only use it occasionally, like maybe once or twice a week. It doesn't have to be avoided.
 

Linhdan Nguyen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
1,790
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
I haven't fed it to my tortoises either because it is a spinach and i feed even that sparingly.
So more for me :)
 

TammyJ

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
7,120
Location (City and/or State)
Jamaica
In Jamaica we have a plant that is (looks) very much like spinach and it is called "Calaloo". Does anyone know if it is similar to spinach in its content?
 

bouaboua

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Dec 7, 2013
Messages
11,809
Location (City and/or State)
San Jose CA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_aquatica

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/136

Water spinach, Water Morning glory, Hollow shoot water plant, etc has so many names depending on the language of the produce guy at the market. I ate much of this when I traveled in Viet Nam, and at a few wonderful 'Chinese" restaurants in Manhattan's Chinatown.

One dish has a black bean sauce and my mouth waters thinking about it.

@Fredkas asked my about this as a second language speaker. I'm not so good at English sometimes let alone any other language.

The wiki page is available in many languages.

In short Water Spinach is an acceptable food item, it is in the same genus as sweet potato. Sweet potato leaves are okay to feed as well.

This is also the same family as morning glory which the TTT forbids. They are extremely conservative. If anything it is likely high in oxolates, so fed sparingly if you are an oxolate-phob is okayish.

Let the debate and counter -pedia POV begin!!!!
I glad that you like this vegetable. It is very common veggie in Asia or now in some of the Asian market here in US. We often cook them with black bean sauce, shrimp paste or fish sauce (in South East Asia), or just chop up garlic. We call them straw "cai" because the stem of this veggie is hollow like straw. In US, Asian market may display the name as "On Cai".

My Mother in-law also grow this in our garden. and we do feed them to my torts maybe once a week.... without any issue.

Here is couple photos that may show you how they would look, in your local Asia (Most likely in Chinese or Vietnamese) market.

aa18972bd40735faf776b5d59d510fb30e2408d3.jpg 0823dd54564e92583a3a04cd9e82d158ccbf4e83.jpg
 

Linhdan Nguyen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
1,790
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
I have yet to find them in our asian grocery stores here . But im glad to know its safe for tortoises.
 

TerrapinStation

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Messages
669
Location (City and/or State)
Detroit, Michigan
I especially love the fruits and veggies we can share with our tortoises (and in my case, rabbit!)

We are lucky to have a gigantic asian market nearby, it is like the Cosco of Asian stuff..... pretty much any of the leafy greens are great stirfried with onion, garlic and oyster sauce.....

I just get sad in the live animal section.... they have all types of critters for sale..... softshell turtle, frogs, fish, crabs.......
 

chemprentice

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
253
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California (OC)
Hi oxalic content means you should only use it occasionally, like maybe once or twice a week. It doesn't have to be avoided.

I agree. We have broadleaf sorrel in the backyard that Spike goes CRAZY over, but we only let him eat from there once a week or every other week.
 

New Posts

Top