Traditional Morogo: The Most Nutritious Leaf Vegetable In Africa

Morogo, a traditional African food plant of the Amaranth family, is a spinach-type leafy plant that is packed with nutrients. Also known as pigweed (and sometimes spelled Marogo), it is rich in protein and contains minerals (including iron and calcium), vitamins A and C, and trace elements. 

While not a common vegetable on supermarkets shelves, according to Phakamani Xaba from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden’s South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), there is some large-scale commercial cultivation of several types of Amaranth which is mostly exported to first world countries as “a high-demand health food.”

The Amaranthus Family

Xaba talks generally about Amaranths, and lists the plant’s common names according to different southern African languages:

• Common pigweed (English)
• Misbredie (Afrikaans)
• Maroga and tepe (Sotho)
• Thepe (Tswana)
• Serepelele and theepe (Pedi)
• Umfino, mbuya and utyutu (Xhosa and Zulu)

He also mentions several species including the nematode-resistant A. cruentus, grown for its nutritious leaves, and two ornamental species, A. hypochondriacus and A. caudatus, both of which are featured photographically in The Royal Horticulutral Society Gardeners’ Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. A. caudatus is particularly attractive, with its pendulous panicles of long, deep wine-red tassel-type flowers reaching to the ground.  

According to other sources, A. cruentus has been grown for its grain (seeds) for centuries, is a traditional pseudo-cereal crop in Latin America, India and Nepal. Grain amaranth is also cultivated commercially in some hot, dry part of the US, Argentina and China.

Writing in K. V. Peter’s book Underutilized & Underexploited Horticultural Crops, E. ven den Heever and S. L. Venter of the South African Agricultural Research Council maintain that Amaranths could not only be used to address malnutrition problems in Africa, but could also reduce poverty in communities, decrease environmental damage, increase food supply, and provide farmers with an income.

They discuss how amaranth grain and maize were the staple foods of both the Peruvian Incas and Mexican Aztecs, and point out that while A. cruentus has been grown as a dual crop (for its leaves and grain) in Europe, it is not indigenous to South Africa so not cultivated for its grain. They state that there are six species of Amaranthus weeds in SA, including A. cruentus, A caudatus, and A. hybridus, and like Xaba, they state that marogo is a common Sotho name for Amaranth – as is marog (Afrikaans). However they don’t specify which specific species marogo (or morogo) is.

Morogo And Traditional Leafy Vegetables

The anomaly of morogo is that it is identified as a specific plant by some, and lumped together with other traditional leafy vegetables by others. This is probably in part due to a lack of botanical knowledge by local African tribes. For example the Setswana people refer to a variety of traditional leafy vegetables as “morogo.” The Tswana word for vegetables is also morogo. This idea is perpetuated by the Morogo Research Programme at North-West University in Potchefstroom where "morogo" research studies focus on any traditional leafy vegetables. Taking this a step further, researcher Willem Sternberg Jansen van Rensburg states categorically that morogo (also called imifino) is a term that is used “for all green, leafy vegetables,” including the greens of conventional crops like beetroot or pumpkin.

However, in one of his papers he describe how rural women in the northern South African Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces harvest the seeds of certain amaranths, and sow the seeds annually. He also concedes that these particular green leafy vegetables are “treated as crops.” Surely this is marogo? Certainly it looks like the crop produced from seed produced and distributed by several South African seed companies.

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Growing And Eating Morogo

Morogo is an incredibly easy plant to grow from seed. The plants tolerate dry conditions even though their leaves will flourish with higher rainfall. They also prefer higher temperatures and do well above a minimal temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F). Leaves will be smaller the lower the temperature is, and the plant is more likely to flower at lower temperatures. Nipping the flowers in the bud (as one does with many herbs including basil) normally sustains leaf production.

In good quality, fertile soil, these hugely nutritious, protein-rich plants will reach a height of at least 1.5 m (about 5 ft). I am about 1.62 m (5 ft 4 ins) tall and you can see the height of the plants I grew several years ago in the photograph above. 

The South African National Department of Agriculture’s (NDA) North West Agricultural Development Institute advises that amaranth/morogo may be planted once minimal temperatures stay above 16 °C (60.8 °F). The seeds are minute so should be mixed with a little sand and then broadcast in seedbeds before being lightly covered with soil. Ideally they should be sown in rows, though I grew mine successfully in a really small patch of not-very good ground. They recommend watering twice a day until the seedlings pop out of the ground.

SANBI recommends that plant beds should have lots of compost added to them and all weeds should be removed prior to planting. If you prepare the beds properly, you won’t have to weed later on because the plants are vigorous growers that will usually outgrow any weeds.

Morogo must be harvested by hand, either by picking individual leaves, or by trimming the stem and then pulling off the leaves. The leaves are best when cooked on the same day they were picked.

Harvesting And Storing Morogo Seeds

If you want to harvest seeds for future use, you will need to leave some flowers on the plant stalks. Allow the seed to develop and mature until they are black. Cut the stalks and let them dry in the sun for about seven days.

Working on a clean, dry surface, rub the flower heads together until the tiny black seeds come loose. Run these through a fine, mesh sieve before storing in jars. Keep these in a cool, dark place and sow them in early spring.

Cooking Morogo

Morogo is generally cooked in the same way as spinach and related vegetables like Swiss chard and kale. Said to have even more nutrients than kale (which is another superfood gaining international attention), I find it much tastier than kale, which can be rather bitter. The leaves are thicker and coarser than Swiss chard and English spinach, but not as chewy as kale can be (especially curly kale).

The NDA’s agricultural development institute suggests boiling morogo leaves in water and then adding either tomato and onion or potato and onion to the cooked leaves before flavoring with salt and pepper.

Alternatively, be a bit more imaginative and add two diced potatoes, two to four thinly sliced tomatoes (depending on size), and a nice big bunch of morogo to a diced onion that has been cooked in a little olive oil until soft. Fresh herbs like origanum, basil and rosemary will add flavor. Add about a cup of water to the herbs and veg, plus a little salt and freshly ground pepper ,and cook for about half an hour on low heat.

I like to chop the leaves and steam them in just a little salted water until soft. Generally the water cooks away to nothing. Then I cook sliced onion and crushed or chopped garlic in a little olive oil and when this is soft but not brown, I add the morocco. It can be served as is as a side dish, or used to fill a quiche shell. If using for quiche just add crumbled feta cheese and then pour in a mixture of beaten eggs and cream (four eggs to one cup).

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Another of my favorites is to blanche the morogo and then let it steam in a little butter. When soft, add crème fraiche or full cream unsweetened yogurt and stir until it thickens and coats the greens. Season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper and serve as a side dish with meat or fish.