UTILIZATION 
The weed is frequently boiled in large pots and fed to 
pigs, the fattening of which is a common remunerative 
occupation of the Sibundoy. 
Human consumption, except in times of scarcity, is 
confined to the cultivar, var. sapida. It is eaten in three 
ways. First, as aningredient of a “‘relleno”’: the young 
stems and leaves are boiled and then fried along with 
blood, rice, potato, onion and sometimes other vegetables 
to be stuffed into a section of pig’s intestine. These deli- 
cacies may be eaten by the Sibundoy on special occasions 
or sold for a good price to either natives or Europeans at 
the Sunday morning market. Second, tender tsbajusha 
tips may be boiled very briefly and served with boiled 
potatoes or rice. Third, it may be an ingredient of beshdn. 
Beshin is eaten nearly every day by most of the Sibun- 
doy, once at noon and usually again in the evening in 
lesser amounts. Normally it is a boiled mixture of ground 
maize (Zea Mays), green or dried beans ( Phaseolus flaves- 
cens, P. vulgaris), and the fragmented leaves of tree kale 
(Brassica oleracea var. acephala) to which salt and some- 
times chili peppers (Capsicum frutescens L..) and squash 
(Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché) are added. Together with 
the ever present, lightly fermented, maize beer (bocéy), 
beshan is the basis of nutrition. 
Tsbajusha, usually Philoglossa peruviana var. sapida, 
becomes an ingredient of beshdn when tree kale is scarce. 
Many Sibundoy state that their ancestors planted and 
ate large quantities of this tsbajushad but that nowadays 
everyone eats the tree kale. Tree kale was brought to 
the New World from Europe, probably during the 16th 
Century. 
All agree on the fine flavor of this Philoglossa cultivar 
and often point out that various ‘‘well situated’’ people, 
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