Discovering the Beauty of "Iyanapaja"

Hello everyone! It's a pleasure to be posting here today. I was really impressed by the excellent photography I saw yesterday – those flower and nature shots were beautiful!

I wanted to share something from my day yesterday too. This is a small flower from a vegetable plant we have on our farm. Here in my area, we call the vegetable "iyanapaja" – I'm not sure what it's called in English. It grows really quickly, and you have to keep it trimmed or it can take over. Interestingly, the liquid inside is quite itchy, so you have to be careful when picking it.

I wanted to share something from my day yesterday too. This is a small flower from a vegetable plant we have on our farm. Here in my area, we call the vegetable "iyanapaja," but I've learned it's also known as Chaya, or tree spinach. In Nigeria, it's also called "Efo Iyana Ipaja"

or "Efo Jerusalem," and in Pidgin English, "Hospital Too Far." I was curious if it has another name in English! It grows really quickly, and you have to keep it trimmed or it can take over. Interestingly, the liquid inside is quite itchy, so you have to be careful when picking it. The leaves of this plant can sometimes have a bitter taste, but my brother has a secret way of cooking it that makes it delicious. Every time I try to cook it myself, though, it's still having that taste😩😩.

This plant is also incredibly nutritious! It's a great source of protein, vitamins A, B (including riboflavin and niacin), and C, and essential minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Plus, it has a good amount of fiber
.... (just googled all that out, I never thought it was that good)...

Has anyone come across this leaf before or know any intresting facts about it? Let me know in the comment.