{"time":1774536091499,"blocks":[{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":" Academic records are scarce since PANC (Non-Conventional Food Plants) tend to be snubbed… but no one would carry a handful of these across the long journey over the Atlantic if they weren’t something remarkable.

Oral accounts from families of Italian immigrants say the plant was already found in Brazil since the 19th century. One way or another, the “peixinho-da-horta” (fish from the garden) drifted from backyard to backyard until it reached Rio de Janeiro.

The name comes from the fish-like taste the leaf takes on when breaded and fried — hence the baptism. And on top of that, it’s perennial, meaning stubborn. It insists on sprouting on its own, year after year, surviving harsh winters or severe droughts, with little need for replanting. It was a kind of “ace” in their luggage.

According to the UN, out of the 10,000 edible plants humans have used for food, only about 170 remain today. To keep species from going extinct, all we need to do is… eat.

At .Org (@orgbistro), the “peixinhos” come like this, diving in a cup.
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