My recollection of chef Chele Gonzalez's first foray into discovering local ingredients was how excited he was about the alibangbang (
Bauhinia monandra), the tree with a fancy name, pink butterfly tree, whose leaves are used as souring agent.
Sm., Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg.,
Bauhinia monandra Kurz, Ditremexa occidentalis (L.) Britton & Rose, Hymenaea courbaril L., Isotoma longiflora (L.) Presl., Sambucus simpsonii Rehder, Carica papaya L., Chenopodium ambrosioides L, Commelina elegans HBK, Rhoeo spathacea (Sw.) Stearn, Ambrosia peruviana Willd., Cuscuta americana L., Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., Ipomoea carnea Jacq., Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.), Bryophylium pinnatum (Lam.) Oken, Kalanchoe daigremontiana Ha-met & Perrier, Momordica charantia L., Pepo moschata (Duch.) Britton, Cyperus alternifolius L., Cyperus rotundus L., Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Miller) I.