Plant atlas Short
Sweet Leaf: Always Cook It, Never Drink It Raw
Sweet Leaf / Star Gooseberry · ผักหวาน · Sauropus androgynus
Sweet Leaf / Star Gooseberry — ผักหวาน (phak-waan) — Sauropus androgynus.
Sweet leaf — ผักหวาน, pak-waan. A mild Thai green: safe cooked, dangerous raw. Documented Sauropus androgynus outbreaks linked raw juice and large raw amounts to permanent lung damage, so it's always blanched or simmered. The edible part is the leaves — and sweet leaf is safe to eat only when cooked. Cooked, the leaves bring vitamin C for collagen and normal immune function, beta-carotene the body turns into vitamin A (better absorbed with a little oil or coconut milk), plus calcium, iron, and a little protein.
In yum phak-waan, blanched leaves meet fresh shrimp, minced pork, chili, lime, and fish sauce, with jasmine rice on the side. In kaeng liang, the leaves simmer in a peppery herbal broth with shallots, shrimp paste, and crab, usually with rice and a Thai omelet.
Growing tip: strip a mature branch bare and it pushes out a fresh flush of tender leaves. Whichever way you cook it, the rule holds — eat sweet leaf cooked in normal amounts and discard the raw juice.
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Spicy Sweet Leaf Salad with Fresh Shrimp — ยำผักหวาน (yam-pak-waan)
Sweet Leaf Spicy Vegetable Soup with Crab Meat — แกงเลียงผักหวาน (gaeng-liang-pak-waan)
Source: SAFETY: Bunawan H et al. (2015). Sauropus androgynus-induced bronchiolitis obliterans. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2015:714158. DOI:10.1155/2015/714158. Outbreak: Lai RS et al. (1996), PMID 8676721
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron, protein
Research context
Star gooseberry is a nutrient-dense leaf — but raw juice can be dangerous (see warning)