{"id":301,"date":"2022-09-08T12:51:02","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T12:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/?post_type=product&p=301"},"modified":"2025-08-04T06:02:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T06:02:22","slug":"kang-kong","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/product\/kang-kong\/","title":{"rendered":"Kang kong"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Botanical Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Ipomoea Aquatica<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some other names:<\/strong>\u00a0Water Spinach, Swamp Cabbage, Ong Choy, Chinese Watercress and many other local names throughout Asia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to Grow It<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Kang Kong is a vigorous perennial<\/b> in the right climate, sprawling and twining to over a metre if conditions are perfect. It has hollow stems and spear-shaped leaves that thrive in heat and moisture<\/b>, with a growth habit that\u2019s more like a lazy creeping vine than a tidy vegetable.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s a tropical to subtropical plant<\/b> at heart, growing year-round in warm regions, and roaring to life with the arrival of the wet season. In cooler areas, it dies back in winter<\/b> and resprouts when things warm up. In cold climates, it behaves like an annual<\/b> with a shorter growing window.<\/p>\r\n

Kang Kong thrives in full sun or part shade<\/b>, but its most important requirement is water. It loves boggy soil, the edges of ponds, or even shallow water \u2013 if the soil\u2019s wet, it\u2019s happy. It\u2019s incredibly easy to propagate<\/b>: just stick a stem or tip cutting into soil or water, and it will root and grow.<\/p>\r\n

A favourite method is to grow it in closed containers<\/b> \u2013 buckets, troughs, or Styrofoam boxes filled with soil and topped up with water \u2013 it\u2019s productive, neat, and water-efficient. It will still reward you in the garden too, but harvest regularly or it can take over.

<\/p>\r\n

Herbal & Nutrient Value<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Despite how little care it needs, Kang Kong is nutrient dense<\/b>. A single cup (about 55g) delivers over 50% of your daily Vitamin A<\/b>, along with big hits of Vitamin C (30% RDI)<\/b>, iron, and calcium \u2013 all vital for immunity, blood health, and strong bones.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s also rich in potassium<\/b> for heart health and hydration, plus protein for a green vegetable<\/b> \u2013 unusual for a leaf crop. Traditionally, Kang Kong has been used in Asian herbal medicine as a mild laxative, anti-inflammatory, and even a sleep aid<\/b>, though much of this remains based on long use rather than hard science.<\/p>\r\n

Traditional & Home Remedies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Liver Tonic Decoction<\/strong> \u2013 Boil a handful of leaves in water; drink cooled tea for liver support.
Topical Poultice for Insect Bites<\/strong> \u2013 Crush leaves and apply to bites to soothe itching.
Mild Laxative Soup<\/strong> \u2013 Water spinach cooked lightly in broth for digestive regularity.
Cooling Juice<\/strong> \u2013 Fresh leaf juice taken for fever (folk use).
Skin Wash<\/strong> \u2013 Leaves boiled; water used for bathing eczema-prone skin.

<\/p>\r\n

Using It in the Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Kang Kong\u2019s mild young leaves<\/b> make an excellent salad green, especially when it\u2019s too hot or wet for lettuce to survive. In season, it\u2019s one of those plants you\u2019ll nibble straight from the garden.<\/p>\r\n

As a cooked green, treat it like spinach \u2013 it\u2019s great in soups, quiches, curries, and casseroles<\/b>, but add it near the end for the best colour and texture. The hollow stems<\/b> are a treat \u2013 chop them thick for stir-fries, where they soak up sauces and stay tender and juicy.<\/p>\r\n

Simple recipe ideas:<\/b>
– Garlic Kang Kong Stir-Fry<\/b> \u2013 saut\u00e9 stems and leaves in garlic, soy, and a splash of oyster sauce for a classic Asian side.
– Warm Kang Kong Salad<\/b> \u2013 wilt leaves in a pan with sesame oil, toss with lime juice and toasted peanuts.
– Kang Kong Omelette<\/b> \u2013 add chopped leaves and stems to eggs for a fresh, green breakfast.
– Kang Kong Coconut Curry<\/b> \u2013 simmer with coconut milk, ginger, and a few chillies for a creamy, fragrant dish.
– Quick Pickled Kang Kong Stems<\/b> \u2013 slice stems, pack into a jar with vinegar, garlic, and chilli; ready in a day for crunchy pickles.

<\/p>\r\n

Other Uses<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Kang Kong isn\u2019t just for humans \u2013 its high protein content<\/b> makes it excellent fodder for chickens, ducks, and other livestock<\/b> (they\u2019ll devour it fresh). Its rampant growth also makes it a brilliant mulch or compost starter<\/b> \u2013 just dry it out before spreading, or it will re-root wherever it lands!

<\/p>\r\n

Why it’s a survival plant:<\/h3>\r\n

fast-growing, self-replenishing, and incredibly forgiving<\/b>. Plant it once, and you\u2019ll have fresh greens for months on end \u2013 as long as you can keep it watered, it will keep you fed.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kang Kong \u2013 also known as water spinach \u2013 is one of the easiest and most generous greens you\u2019ll ever grow. If it\u2019s hot and wet, it will practically grow itself, giving you a constant supply of nutritious leaves and stems for salads, stir-fries, and soups \u2013 a true survival garden champion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":125,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[37,40,41,42,43,45,46],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-301","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-bog-water-plants","7":"product_cat-high-nutrition-plants","8":"product_cat-mulch-plants","9":"product_cat-pot-and-container-plants","10":"product_cat-salad-leaves","11":"product_cat-soups-and-curries","12":"product_cat-stir-fry-plants","14":"first","15":"instock","16":"shipping-taxable","17":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=301"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=301"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}