Imifino or wild leafy vegetables are often referred to as weeds by those who are not in the know. ‘Weeds’ is a misnomer. Many people are unaware that many of the so-called weed plants are actually edible and frequently highly nutritious. Ruliv has recently completed a project with Research Consultant Claire Kockott and funded by the National Heritage Council aimed at raising awareness of the health benefits of imifino, and researching and recording the associated cultural practices. Workshops were held in the communities of Needs Camp and Ncera where Ruliv have undertaken Agro-ecological Training and Garden Establishment mentoring. It was a great exchange of learning.
The project culminated in a 2023 Revision of the freely available Rhodes University booklet in English and IsiXhosa of 2006 “Imifino: A Guide to the use of wild leafy vegetables in the Eastern Cape”. This is a black and white booklet to allow cheap duplication. Based on input from these communities, the original version of the 9 most popular plants was extended to include 4 more.
An electronic version in colour was produced that communities said would aid identification. Now that smart phones are so widely used colour versions in IsiXhosa and English were produced for anyone to access electronically, free of charge, in the spirit of the original Guide. The assistance of the curator of East London Museum’s Plants and People Exhibition and Imifino fundi Annegret Mostert were of great value, providing the scanned colour photos of the imifino. A version of the booklet was produced to accompany the Exhibition and will be included in an upcoming post.
Over the next few days extracts from the research will be posted, sharing some of the amazing facts that came out this Research in order to encourage everyone to know their weeds, appreciate the value and include them in their diets.
