Cosmos caudatus is edible and its common names in Malaysia include ulam raja, literally meaning “the King’s salad”. In Indonesian cuisine and Malay cuisine this plant are used for daily cooking. Ulam, a Malay word used to describe a preparation that combines food, medicine, and beauty, is a widely popular Malay herbal salad that is served throughout the country from major hotels for tourists to buffet lunches or dinners for the locals.
In Indonesia, we use kenikir for various cooking such as in boiled salad (Urap, Pecel) or coat it with thin mixture of rice flour, spices and deep fried it for a lovely rempeyek kenikir (kenikir chips). It has a fragrant, aromatic yet unique taste, love it so much we planted everywhere in garden area.
