This perennial usually grows as shrubs, only surviving in tropical areas that have high humidity and high temperatures such as Mexico and Central America (1). With most of its cultivation in the tropics where not much human life exists, it requires little maintenance. Moreover, what makes it unique to other leafy green vegetables is that they are drought tolerant and are highly disease and pest resistant. Chaya usually averages around 3 feet tall with a 4 inches stem (in diameter). To harvest Chaya, it can be cut and maintained between 1-2 meters. 

You can propagate Chaya easily by stem cuttings and then from there, cut 6–12-inch nodes on the wooden stem and air out for 2-3 days. This will allow the cut ends to seal, thus more resistant to rotting (1). After this, you can go ahead and place cuttings in the ground and be sure not to overwater. Chaya is also cold sensitive, so it is key to start harvesting at the beginning of a warm season. Just like many other plants, chaya offers a myriad of environmental benefits which include cleaner air, less soil erosion, increased climate change resilience and overall good soil health (2). 

Culinary and/or Medicinal Uses

Chaya has been found to be an excellent source of vitamins, fiber, proteins and enzymes, thus making it a very nutritional plant found in the tropics (1). Moreover, it can improve blood circulation, help digestion, improve vision, help lower cholesterol, combat arthritis and diabetes, to name only a few of its benefits (3). It has also been said to contain much more nutrients than spinach leaves, amaranth and Chinese cabbage. Not only does its leaves have nutritional characteristics, but when cooked, Vitamin C ends up in the water, accounting for the daily requirement for vitamin C. It is also important to know how to cook Chaya as its leaves and shoots contain a toxin called hydrocyanic glycosides. Even though it can be cooked much like spinach leaves, one should make sure to boil it in water for 5 minutes to get rid of the cyanide components (1). Ancient Mayans and some of their descendants in the present day make Chaya tea. This tea can be made from using 3-5 medium size leaves and whatever blend of tea you prefer (3). It is also pretty common to add Chaya leaves to soups, casseroles, spaghetti sauces and salads.

Significance to Cultural Communities

Chaya is natively grown in areas such as Southern Mexico and Central Mexico, there is cultural significance to many of the cultures unique to those regions. It’s believed that Chaya originated from the Yucatán Peninsula and it spread to other warm areas due to domestication (4). The Mayans of the Yucatan Peninsula harvested Chaya as food and for medicinal purposes. Additionally, the name “Chaya” is derived from the Mayan name “chay” (1). The Mayans have also labeled Chaya as the “miracle superfood” for its vast list of health benefits. 

From the Community Voice

Below is a scrambled Chaya eggs recipe from Mely Martinez’s blog “Mexico in my Kitchen,” a dish from the state Tabasco (5)

Ingredients

  • teaspoons of vegetable oil

  • 2 Tablespoons of white onion finely chopped

  • ½ cup tomato chopped

  • ⅓ cup Chaya cooked and chopped* 

  • 2 eggs**

  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash Chaya leaves and places them in a pot with cold water over medium-high heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. The chaya leaves will keep their bright green color. Remove from pot, drain and chop to cook.

  2. Heat a medium-sized non-stick frying pan over low heat. Add the oil, once it is hot add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes.

  3. Stir in the chopped tomato and cook for a minute and then add the chopped chaya leaves. Sauté for two more minutes.

  4. Crack the eggs and add to the pan, stir and season with salt to taste. Cook until the desired doneness.”

References

  1. “Chaya - Mayan Tree Spinach.” Survival Gardener, May 2, 2015. https://survivalgardener.com/chaya-tree-spinach/. 

  2. Anderson, Sue. “The Chaya Tree Story: Plant A Tree. Change A Life.” MATTER, November 6, 2020. https://www.matter.ngo/the-chaya-tree-story/.

  3. Jensen, Sophie Annan. “Chaya, the Maya Miracle Plant.” MexConnect, October 2009. https://www.mexconnect.com/articles/982-chaya-the-maya-miracle-plant/. 

  4. “Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Chaya).” CABI. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/14554#tosummaryOfInvasiveness

  5. Mely, Martinez. “Scrumbled Eggs with Chaya.” Mexico in my Kithen, April 15, 2015. https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/scrambled-eggs-with-chaya-super-food/