Kh'merican Backyard Gardening. Vegetables and Herbs

 ប្រក្រុង / Suong Sam / Jelly vine (Cocculus Orbiculatus)

New Zealand spinach.

Luffa Sponge Gourds. 

កញ្ឆែត, Aquatic Mimosa (Neptuniae Oleraceae) is an indigenous food for the Khmers. My great-grandparents harvested the tender parts,  eatten anyway he liked. Enjoyed it cooked or raw & fresh. In an herbs platter,  blanched, stir fry, soup, and stew. Preparation to be considered: Peel off the floating foam, soaking  it in salt water for 10-15 minutes  to wash. As this will help eliminating bacteria. Especially if you're planing on serving it raw & fresh. How to? Treat it as you would with other veggies.  A native to Cambodia.   A tender perennial in USDA zone 9a with overhead protection in winter months.

 Chenopodium simplex (Maple-leaf Goosefoot)

( Reynoutria japonica) commonly called Japanese knotweed.  It is native to East Asia in Japan, China and Korea. Some Khmers called it  ត្រកួនជូរ / DrawGuon Jew. Tge name is in reference to its sour taste, the Hollow and segmented stems. Synonyms:   Fallopia japonica, Polygonum cuspidatum, is a species of herbaceous perennial in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae.   I grew up eating it in traditional Khmer cooking. Great for any sour dishes, and because of its natural sour tastes there's no need for the use of a sour agent.  Japanese knotweed is a super cold-hardy plant with root systems will reach very, very deep beneath soil surface. Underground rhizomes stays dormant in cold winter. And young shoots emerges and spread rampantly and wildly in spring.  Pot planting is highly encouraged. Elevate your growing pot above soil surface to create an empty space to allow airflow, to keep root systems to air-pruning itself and not to grow out.  DO NOT  deposit or dispose any liv