Morning Glory

What better name than “morning glory” for someone like me who absolutely adores the quiet early hours of the day?

But why is water spinach also called morning glory? Well, if you’re a bit of a plant enthusiast, you’ll quickly spot that the flowers of this lovely vegetable look a lot like the flowers of the morning glory plant.

I stumbled upon this spinach variety just two weeks ago, stir-fried with minced pork—a delicious side dish in Thailand that has its origins in China. For a vegetarian twist, morning glory is also stir-fried with the tiniest garlic cloves I’ve ever seen and a hefty dose of chili. Thank goodness for the rice that helped me handle the heat!

Being my curious self, I took home a bunch of morning glory and a small bag of those tiny garlic cloves. Last night, I whipped up a stir-fry with a good splash of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Paired with some Basmati rice, it whisked me straight back to the flavors of Bangkok.