# I want to eat an aloe leaf...recipes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790 "2007-07-14T22:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/1 "2007-07-14T22:08:46Z")
So I picked up one of those monstrous aloe leaves from the produce aisle today. Now what? All I can find via Google are beauty and burn recipes. Epicurious et all have nothing. Any suggestions? Thanks! Rhythm ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/2 "2007-07-15T04:32:52Z")
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] So I picked up one of those monstrous aloe leaves from the produce aisle today. Now what? All I can find via Google are beauty and burn recipes. Epicurious et all have nothing. Any suggestions? [/QUOTE] Yikes, Aloe for internal consumption!? Wouldn’t that be like cooking mucus? Understand, I’m not trying to discourage you if it’s safe, but maybe the store just had it there for medicinal use? I hope. T. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/3 "2007-07-15T04:41:31Z")
The first ‘actually eating it’ hit I found was for having it prepared in a syrup because it’s bitter although the ones cultivated for eating possibly less so. The reference originated from Japan but mentioned it was common in Indonesia. Perhaps that would help with narrowing the search? I had no idea it was taken internally either. A lot of the links seemed to be how to extract the liquid to drink but did not look at all tasty. Um, also, it appears to have laxative properties. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/4 "2007-07-15T04:58:00Z")
You could make an aloe margarita. I’ve had a prickly pear margarita, but don’t know how similar they’d be. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/5 "2007-07-15T05:00:10Z")
I had an aloe-based bottled beverage from Trader Joe’s once. It was different, that’s for sure. Kinda refreshing though. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/6 "2007-07-15T07:18:29Z")
How about a nice refreshing [cucumber smoothie](http://www.recipezaar.com/193693)? ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/7 "2007-07-15T11:44:48Z")
I recently bought a [white chocolate bar with rhubarb and aloe](http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2007/01/trapa_swiss_rhu.php). It was tasty enough. My husband detected the aloe better than I did. After the tang of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the white chocolate, there was a hint of _something_, but had I not known the ingredient, I would have never been able to guess what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/8 "2007-07-15T12:49:54Z")
Well, this is odd… I’ve seen these things in the produce section of a few different mainstream supermarkets (e.g., Stop & Shop, Shop Rite, Hanafords), and always figured they were just some vegetable I hadn’t learned to eat yet. Who the heck has been sneaking them into the bins? Can’t _anything_ be done with it? ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/9 "2007-07-15T13:14:40Z")
You could make [Double-Boiled Aloe Vera Chicken Soup](http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=2123), or an [Aloe Cucumber Refresher](http://recipes.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_2/episode_2/aloe_cucumber_refresher.php) (…and somebody already linked to that one, I see) or [Aloe Vera with Bamboo Pith](http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=2773). I’m sure there are more out there, but those were the easiest to find. If you try any of those recipes, let us know how they taste. I’m very curious. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-an-aloe-leaf-recipes/411790/10 "2007-07-15T13:30:19Z")
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] Can’t _anything_ be done with it? [/QUOTE] [From Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera): > [@](#): > > **Parts that can be used** > The lower leaf of the plant is used for medicinal purpose. If the lower leaf is sliced open, the gel obtained can be applied on the affected area. Leaves and seeds are the two edible parts of Aloe Vera. > > **Use in foods** > In Japan Aloe Vera is commonly used as an ingredient in commercially available yogurt. > > There are also several Korean companies which produce Aloe Vera beverages. > > In Pakistan, the plant has been used for centuries as a carminative and digestive aid. > > The dried gel mixed with seeds of various herbs and consumed after a meal. > > Tribes in the Hazara region of the North West Frontier Province have been using Aloe > > Vera for centuries to improve physical endurance, probably due to the high nutrient content of the gel. > > People in Rajastahn state of India prepare vegetable out of Aloe Vera along with fenugreek seeds. > > In Mexico some people make smoothies out of Aloe Vera.