Cowslip Creeper: The Thai Flower Stir-Fried With Egg

Cowslip Creeper — ดอกขจร (dok-kha-jon) — Telosma cordata.

Thai cooks pick these flower buds while they're still shut and golden, before they open and turn fragrant at night, then fold them into a hot wok with beaten egg. The buds are described as containing protein, fiber, and vitamins C and A, but no pinned food-composition table supports exact amounts; they are always cooked — stir-fried or blanched. The part on your plate is the young flower cluster. Thai cooks pick these flower buds while they are still shut and golden, then toss them into a hot wok with egg or drop them into a clear soup. Sweet, faintly grassy, and always cooked — that is cowslip creeper on the plate. In the garden it's a vigorous perennial vine — give it a fence or trellis and it climbs two to five meters and flowers through the warm months.

Dok Khajon Phat Khai — ดอกขจรผัดไข่ (dok-ka-jon-pad-kai)
Gaeng Liang Dok Khajon — แกงเลียงดอกขจร (gaeng-liang-dok-ka-jon)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, protein, fiber

Research context

The one brain study on cowslip creeper used a concentrated flower extract on nerve cells in a dish; the buds you eat are a fragrant vitamin-C vegetable — Notulae Botanicae, 2023

Sources

Source: Doan et al. (2023). Telosma cordata flower extract effects on acetylcholinesterase and BDNF/NGF expression in nerve cells (in vitro). Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 51(4):13204. DOI:10.15835/nbha51413204.

Narration transcript

Opening

Thai cooks pick these little golden buds while they're still shut — because once they open, they give their perfume to the night air. Cowslip creeper — ดอกขจร, dok-kha-jon. The part on your plate is the young flower cluster, always cooked, folded into a hot wok with beaten egg or dropped into a clear soup.

Dok Khajon Phat Khai (ดอกขจรผัดไข่)

For dok khajon phat khai, Thai cooks toss the closed golden buds into a hot wok with garlic and beaten egg, and the egg sets around them into a soft, fragrant plate over rice.

Gaeng Liang Dok Khajon (แกงเลียง)

Added to gaeng liang, a peppery Thai vegetable soup, in the last minute, the buds hold their honey scent and sweeten the broth.

Nutrition summary

These little golden flower buds are surprisingly high in vitamin C, and carry more protein than most vegetables.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.

Protein

Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle, helps repair body tissues, and helps you feel full and satisfied.

Fiber

Fiber adds bulk to meals and can help with fullness.

Closing

One rule: eat these buds cooked, never raw — a quick stir-fry or blanch is all they need. In the garden it's a vigorous perennial vine, so give it a fence or trellis and it'll climb two to five meters and flower through the warm months. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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