Chaya, also known as “Tree Spinach,” is a large, fast growing leafy perennial shrub, native to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It is popular in Mexico and Central America as a leafy vegetable, cooked and eaten like spinach – the raw leaves are toxic. As you will see in this video, some varieties of chaya have stinging hairs and require gloves for harvesting. Cooking the greens destroys these hairs. Chaya is very healthy and serves as a good source of protein, vitamins, calcium and iron.

This video was taken on TIDES Educator Dona Bass' teacher expedition to Dzibilchaltun, Yucatan.