About 30 000 edible plant species are found throughout the world. It is estimated that about 7 000 of these plants have been collected as food. With urbanisation and working away from home the practice of growing or foraging for our food is declining. Today about 15 plant species supply 90% of foods worldwide, also illustrating the narrowing of dietary diversity.
Most of the species used nowadays to make imifino in South Africa are originally from countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia or North Africa. They commonly grow on disturbed ground near human settlements. In the Eastern Cape today, as in many other areas of South Africa and the World, people gather edible plant species in the wild, from their gardens and surrounding areas. The commonly used species are known collectively in IsiXhosa as ‘imifino’. Several imifino species are harvested then cooked on their own or with mealie pap or rice. This dish is also referred to as ‘imifino’ or wild leafy vegetables.
The Imifino: A Guide to the Use of Wild Leafy Vegetables in the Eastern Cape, includes information on dandelion, stinging nettle, plantain, sow thistle, black jack as well as amaranth and purslane. Not enough wild leafy vegetables to make a meal? Often recipes would allow inclusion of larger leaves either bought or from your garden, such as cabbage, sweet potato, pumpkin or spinach/chard.
