About Malva nicaeensis All.
Malva nicaeensis All. is an annual or biennial herb that grows a hairy, upright stem reaching up to 60 centimetres, or 24 inches, in length. Its leaves can grow up to 12 cm wide, and have several shallow lobes along their edges. Flowers grow in the leaf axils; each flower has pinkish to light purple petals around 1 cm long. The fruit is disc-shaped and divided into several segments. In the Levant, this mallow grows abundantly after the first winter rains. The leaves and stems of Malva nicaeensis are edible, and are widely collected for use as food. Chopped and fried in olive oil with onions and spices, it makes an excellent garnish. In Israel, the plant is famously known for feeding the besieged Jewish population during the 1948 Battle for Jerusalem, where it was used in a similar way to spinach. A well-known preparation made from this plant is Khubeza patties. Apicius, a collection of ancient Roman cookery recipes, notes that garum was used as a fish stock to flavor cooked mallows.
