Sibu Tales : Langing Herng (Okinawa Spinach)

We had an aunty Lang Ging and because her name was such she was referred to as Langing Herng, the important vegetable we had during those long ago days. Langing Herng was easily grown in the garden, when a plot could be made just any time, especially when land was plentiful.



We had plenty of langing herng to eat because my mother and aunts planted a lot of them. They were also sold very cheaply. So it was a good vegetable to have on the table at very little cost. The mee hoon was also very cheap in those days.

Besides eating a lot of this, according to my grandmother would help us replenish our blood, especially the girls who have very heavy menstruation. In those early days in Sibu, calcium tablets were not readily given out by the government hospital to the general public. And at the same, many girls would be too shy to seek medical advice regarding their personal ailments.

One of the easiest treatment for stomach cramps during menstruation was to drink ginger soup, which a girl could easily make for herself.

The Okinawa spinach or langing herng was eaten together with the whole family and a good mother would give a bowl of the soup to her daughter on the quiet.





Today, langing herng has evolved into a salad ingredient!!