Also known as: water convolvulus, water spinach, swamp cabbage, ong choy, hung tsai, rau muong.
Kang kong is closely related to sweet potato, as well as ‘morning glory’, the climbing plant with large purple flowers that grows as a weed in the warmer parts of Australia. Like its relative, kang kong can escape from cultivation and the plant is considered a weed in some places. However, it is a popular and common vegetable in many parts of south-east Asia.
Kang kong prefers damp conditions, flourishing along the banks of streams and boggy areas. The plant’s long, hollow, pale-green stems float on the water or creep along damp ground. The leaves are darker green and are usually long to heart-shaped, depending on variety.