Tell us about your favorite vegetables contest

A Vegetable is the edible part of any kind of herbaceous plant grown for food.

My favorite vegetable is the leaves of the chaya plant, it's botanical name is Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, locally known as Hospital is too far. The chaya plant grows in to a shrub. It gives up a white sap when cut. And also has an acidic defence mechanism design to keep you away from the tree.

The chaya plant, locally called hospital leaf

The tree delivers it's sting through some hairs on the leaves. I avoid this by using gloves when harvesting the leaves and note that you can still be stung by this leaf when washing it. And it hurts for about 3 days once stung.
It is not advisable to consume the "hospital leaf" raw because it contains some potent toxins that loose it's power when boiled or combined with other substances which has catalytic effects on the toxins.
But why love a plant that can be so toxic. You may ask. Unlike other vegetables that needs a lot of care to grow, the "hospital leaf" can take care of itself. And can thrive in places where others fail. This makes it cheap and available all year round to be used in rice, yam porridge, in combination with other vegetables, as garnish in stew or indomie noodles. I do not have the expertise to analyse it's nutritional value, I know it taste good and it is said to contain lots of nutrients and medicinal value besides the normal chlorophylls we get from everyday vegetables. I love the "hospital leaf" because it is cheap, available, nutritional and medicinal.

Expressing appreciation to @shc-curator for giving us the opportunity to share our favourite with others.

I will love the following to participate in this contest: @akhtarbadar2 @ddwosky @udyliciouz @nikkypeter @eliany @udofotubong @preciousisaac