Plant atlas Short
Pak Liang: The Southern Thai Green In Kaeng Liang
Pak Liang · ผักเหลียง · Gnetum gnemon
Pak Liang — ผักเหลียง (phak-liang) — Gnetum gnemon.
Snap off a shoot tip and the newest leaves come away bronze-pink, before they harden into glossy deep green. They have a mild, faintly nutty taste that southern cooks fold into kaeng liang, the peppery soup the plant is named for. For a leafy green it carries a lot of protein and fiber, plus calcium, folate, and the beta-carotene your body turns into vitamin A. The parts on your plate are the young shoot tips and youngest leaves, cooked into the pot.
Pak liang is a southern favorite — bronze-pink shoot tips cooked into kaeng liang soup or a quick omelet, mild and nutty with a real hit of protein for a leafy green. One note: secondary Indonesian food sources describe the seeds used for emping crackers as purine-rich, while the leaf itself has not been tested for uric-acid effects; if gout is a concern, go easy on the crackers. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Kaeng Liang — แกงเลียง (gaeng-liang)
Bai Liang Phat Khai — ใบเหลียงผัดไข่ (bai-liang-pad-kai)
Source: Nutritional Content and Microbial Load of Fresh Liang (Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum) Leaves. Foods 2023; PMID 37893741; DOI:10.3390/foods12203848. Melinjo seed-extract uric-acid trial: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013; PMID 24454499; DOI:10.1155/2013/589169.
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: protein, fiber, calcium, Vitamin A, folate
Research context
The uric-acid trial used a concentrated melinjo seed extract; the young leaves people eat are an unusually protein-rich cooked green — Foods, 2023 / Evid-Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013