Isitshalo Seqhwa samaSaladi

©Krzysztof Ziarnek
The crystalline Ice Plant has pink flower buds and edible leaves.
Isitshalo esilula esinegama eliyinkimbinkimbi; i-crystalline ice plant (i-Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) inamagama amaningi ahlanganiswa njengeRosa De Jericho noma i-brakslaai, i-noeta ne-olifantslaai ngesiBhunu.
I-icestalline isitshalo se-creeping esilula kakhulu esinamabala aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka emaqabunga abomvu agcwele imizuzu emincane ye-blister-like 'bubbles'.
Amaqabunga ayadliwa. Lesi sitshalo sinemifino efihlekile e-pink eveza izimbali ezimhlophe ezinamathele ezimhlophe eziqhakaza unyaka wonke.
Lesi sitshalo sibekezela usawoti futhi sikwazi ukukhula enhlabathini ngokuqukethwe kasawoti afana namanzi olwandle.
Lesi sitshalo esikhulu kakhulu nesimiso sokucindezeleka sizalwa e-Afrika, kodwa sathunyelwa ngemikhumbi eCalifornia ngawo-1500 futhi sekuye kwashiwo ukuthi isitshalo esihlaselayo e-USA.

Ukusetshenziswa Kwezitshalo Zeqhwa

Iqembu labacwaningi baseJapane baseSaga University lithatha iminyaka engu-20 ukuthuthukisa isitshalo se-ice crystalline esabizwa ngokuthi i-Barafu esivela endaweni egwadule eNingizimu Afrika. 'Barafu' kusho i-crystal noma iqhwa ngesi-Kiswahili, igama elibonisa ukubonakala kwamaqabunga ayo. I-Barafu yinto ekhethekile ekhishwa esuka eJapane kuya ezitolo eJurophu naseMelika, ethengisa kusuka ku-$ 80 iphakethe elincane.
Amaqabunga neziqu kungadliwa okuluhlaza (ama-saladi) noma okuphekwe futhi abe nokunambitheka okunamandla nangokasawoti. Kungasuswa, kugoqa-okuthosiwe, kumhlophe noma okufakwe emanzini anosawoti njengamakhukhamba futhi kuzosiza izitsha zokudla zasolwandle. Uma kuphekwe kukhonzwa njengesimangalo sesipinashi. Imbewu idliwa ngezikhathi zokuntuleka okukhulu kokudla.

Izitshalo Zeqhwa njengeMithi

©Frank Vincentz
The leaves of the Ice Plant can be added raw to salads or boiled like spinach.
Ngokwemithi isitshalo seqhwa sisetshenziselwa ukwelashwa kwesifo sokuphefumula nesinye nesisu nokuvuvukala kwesisu nangase-Argentina sisetshenziselwa ukwelapha isifo se-venereal. Ijusi elisha lamaqabunga echotshoziwe lingaphatha ukugcinwa kwamanzi nokuchama okubuhlungu futhi kusetshenziselwa ukunciphisa nokunciphisa ukuvuvukala emaphashini.
Ucwaningo lwesiJapane, olukhulunywe ngaso ekuqaleni, seluthole ukuthi isitshalo seqhwa sinomsebenzi ophezulu wokulwa ne-antioxidant futhi sihlanganisa u-proline, i-amino acid engeyona ebalulekile ehilelekile ekukhiqizeni i-collagen (iprotheni eyisakhiwo sokwakha imigudu, amathonti nesikhumba). I-Proline ingasiza futhi ukuphulukisa ukulimala futhi isakhiwo sokwakha esakhiweni esilondoloza futhi siphulukisa isifo sofuti futhi siqinise amajoyina, ama-tendon nemisipha.
Amaqabunga asetshenziselwa ukwelashwa kwesisu (ukutheleleka kwamathumbu) nezifo zesibindi nezinso. Abasolwandle babesebenzisa amaqabunga ukuze baphathe uhambo olwandle olwandle olude.
Amaqabunga achotshoziwe asetshenziswa njengesisetshenziswa seseti kanye nejusi, kanye nesitshalo esitshalwe, sisetshenziselwa izidakamizwa zesimo sesikhumba emikhiqizweni yezimonyo zokuhweba.

Isitshalo Seqhwa Esikhulayo

Izitshalo zeqhwa zingakhula kusuka enzalweni. Lezi zinhlobo zinezimbongolo zesilisa nezinsikazi (i-hermaphrodite) futhi ipholile yizinambuzane. Amagundane nabanogwaja basakaza imbewu.
Ikhetha inhlabathi enothile kahle futhi ingakhula emhlabathini ompofu futhi omuncu. Awukwazi ukukhula emthunzini futhi uzwela ku-frost.
Isitshalo seqhwa sihlanganisa i-nitrate (usawoti) bese sikhipha emhlabathini. Lokhu kungalimaza izinhlobo zokulandelela ukuze zizenzele kule nhlabathi yelinesi. Ucwaningo luye lwabonisa ukuthi isitshalo seqhwa singase sithole ama-pesticides, i-cadmium nezinye izinsimbi ezisindayo. Ngakho-ke, ukunakekelwa kufanele kuthathwe uma ukhula isitshalo seqhwa ukuqinisekisa ukuthi kuphephile ukusetshenziswa komuntu.
Uyacelwa ukuthi uqaphele: Ulwazi lunikeza izinjongo zemfundo nolwazi kuphela futhi angeke lithathwe njengeseluleko sezokwelapha. Ulwazi aluhloselwe ukufaka iseluleko sezokwelapha noma ukwelashwa okunikezwa ochwepheshe bezempilo.

Translated by Nsika Khoza