The red calyces of the plant are increasingly exported to the United States and Europe, particularly Germany, where they are used as food colourings. It can be found in markets (as flowers or syrup) in places, such as France, where there are Senegalese immigrant communities. The green leaves are used like a spicy version of spinach. They give flavour to the Senegalese fish and rice dish "thieboudienne". Proper records are not kept, but the Senegalese government estimates national production and consumption at per year. In Myanmar their green leaves are the main ingredient in chin baung kyaw curry.