Khobbeizeh

A member of the mallow family, khobbeizeh is a wild green plant that has traditionally been harvested in the Middle East and Northern Africa. The name of this plant means mallow in Arabic, and it typically refers to little mallow or Marva parviflora.

This plant is most commonly collected for its young tender leaves, although all parts of the plant are edible. In Jordan and Palestine, it is very common for people to go out in the open fields and forage for the leaves of this wild plant during the khobbeizeh season, and since the plant is seasonal, the leaves are often frozen for future use.

Healthy and nutritious, raw mallow leaves have a very mild flavor that is reminiscent of dandelions, and they are usually made into fresh salads or cooked similarly to other greens. One of the most common, traditional ways of preparing this plant is chopping it up finely and then cooking it with olive oil alongside onions.

Once done, the dish is usually drizzled with lots of fresh lemon juice on top, and it is typically accompanied by warm pita bread on the side. Mallow leaves have been considered poor people’s food or "the meat of the poor" in both Jordanian and Palestinian cultures.