Is kuḷḷafila vegan?

Kuḷḷafila is the Dhivehi name for the edible foliage of Launaea sarmentosa, a creeping coastal herb known in English as beach cabbage or coastal wild lettuce. The plant grows naturally in sandy coastal habitats across the Maldives and surrounding areas of the Indian Ocean basin. Growers and foragers collect the tender green leaves, which are subsequently washed and either packaged fresh, chopped for use in prepared meals, or dehydrated for extended storage.

On commercial ingredient labels, kuḷḷafila typically appears in regional Maldivian packaged foods, including prepared herbal salads, traditional vegetable pastes, spice blends, and dried herbal infusions. Kuḷḷafila is vegan because it is an agricultural product of direct botanical origin. Its cultivation, harvesting, and preparation consist entirely of gathering and processing plant material, with no animal byproducts or animal-derived processing aids utilized during any stage of manufacture.