Pak Liang: The Southern Thai Green In Kaeng Liang

Pak Liang — ผักเหลียง (phak-liang) — Gnetum gnemon.

Snap off a shoot tip and the newest leaves come away bronze-pink, before they harden into glossy deep green. They have a mild, faintly nutty taste that southern cooks fold into kaeng liang, the peppery soup the plant is named for. For a leafy green it carries a lot of protein and fiber, plus calcium, folate, and the beta-carotene your body turns into vitamin A. The parts on your plate are the young shoot tips and youngest leaves, cooked into the pot.

Pak liang is a southern favorite — bronze-pink shoot tips cooked into kaeng liang soup or a quick omelet, mild and nutty with a real hit of protein for a leafy green. One note: secondary Indonesian food sources describe the seeds used for emping crackers as purine-rich, while the leaf itself has not been tested for uric-acid effects; if gout is a concern, go easy on the crackers.

Kaeng Liang — แกงเลียง (gaeng-liang)
Bai Liang Phat Khai — ใบเหลียงผัดไข่ (bai-liang-pad-kai)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: protein, fiber, calcium, Vitamin A, folate

Research context

The uric-acid trial used a concentrated melinjo seed extract; the young leaves people eat are an unusually protein-rich cooked green — Foods, 2023 / Evid-Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013

Sources

Source: Nutritional Content and Microbial Load of Fresh Liang (Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum) Leaves. Foods 2023; PMID 37893741; DOI:10.3390/foods12203848. Melinjo seed-extract uric-acid trial: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013; PMID 24454499; DOI:10.1155/2013/589169.

Narration transcript

Opening

Snap a shoot tip off a pak liang bush and the newest leaves come away bronze-pink, before they harden into glossy deep green. Pak Liang — ผักเหลียง, pak-liang. You eat those young shoot tips and youngest leaves, always cooked — southern cooks fold them into kaeng liang, a peppery soup thick with white pepper and pumpkin, or stir-fry them fast with egg.

Kaeng Liang (แกงเลียง)

Southern Thai cooks simmer the young leaves into kaeng liang, the peppery soup the plant is named for, thick with pumpkin, gourd and white pepper. New mothers eat it in the belief it helps their milk come in.

Bai Liang Phat Khai (ใบเหลียงผัดไข่)

The other iconic use is bai liang phat khai, the young leaves stir-fried hot with garlic, a little chilli and egg until it just sets around the greens. Eat it with steamed rice.

Nutrition summary

These cooked shoot tips bring a good amount of fiber and plant protein, plus a bit of copper.

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.

Calcium

Calcium is needed to maintain normal bones and teeth, supports normal muscle and nerve function, and contributes to normal blood clotting.

Vitamin A

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

Folate

Folate supports normal cell division and blood formation, and plays an especially important role before and during pregnancy.

Closing

For a leafy green, pak liang is a real protein hit, mild and faintly nutty in the pot. One thing worth knowing: the plant's seeds, the ones fried into crisp emping crackers, are high in purines — the compounds that can trigger gout flare-ups — so if gout runs in your family, keep those crackers occasional. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

Related playlists