Hello my dear Hivers from the @HiveGarden community. I hope you and your plants are doing well and safe.
Earlier today, I decided to check on our little garden again. It's something I love doing whenever I get the chance. While walking around, one particular plant caught my eye again. Yes, again because I noticed it so many times but did not give it that much attention. It had this beautiful maroon flower that I’ve noticed several times before. I always thought it was just one of my mother’s usual flowering plants, so I never really paid much attention to it.
But today, curiosity got the better of me. I finally asked my mother what it’s called. To my surprise, she said it’s not just a flower it’s called “labug.” I was intrigued because I honestly thought it was purely ornamental, haha.
When I asked if it’s just a flower, she laughed a little and told me it’s actually used as a spice for cooking, especially for sour dishes like our well-loved Filipino delicacy, sinigang.
Then my brother joined the conversation and said that the leaves of the labug plant can be used in soups when there’s no tamarind available. It gives that same tangy, sour flavor. That was such a surprise to me. I never knew this ordinary-looking plant I’d been ignoring could be so useful in the kitchen, lol!
I even took a closer look at its leaves and flowers afterward. The leaves have a simple, soft texture, and the maroon flower looks stunning up close. Something I used to admire for its beauty, not knowing it had a hidden purpose.
It just made me laugh at myself for overlooking such a gem in our own garden. Have you ever heard of or seen this plant too? Maybe you know more about its uses? I’d love to learn from you!
That's all for today. Thanks for reading this far. Til my next post!
Note: Lead photo is edited in Canva.