Amaranth Family

Amaranth Greens

Amaranthus is a worldwide genus of leafy herbs. There were once distinct American and Asian species, but some Asian species and some American species are now worldwide food crops. African species are not as widely dispersed. Amaranth greens are similar to spinach in use but not as fragile so tolerate rougher handling and longer cooking times. They are less tart than spinach and tend to be slightly mucilaginous, so they have a thickening effect in soups.   Details and Cooking.

Amaranth - Seeds

Amaranth was of great importance to the Incas because it grew well in the high mountainous regions of Peru and was highly nutritious. It has more recently become of some importance in the Himalaya region of Asia for similar reasons. Spanish conquerors of Peru were very disturbed by its use in a ritual too close to Christian communion for comfort, and banned its cultivation. The crop has recently gone back into production because of its nutritional attributes and it is now widely available.   Details and Cooking.

Celosia / Lagos Spinach

While its African origin is disputed, this plant, very similar to Amaranth, is much used in West and Central Africa as greens. Young flower heads are also often incorporated with the leaves. It is also eaten as greens in Southeast Asia, South America and the West Indies. Fancy decorative varieties have been developed with complex flower heads.   Details and Cooking.   Photo by J.M.Garg distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0.

Mchicha

This is a very important green in East Africa, but what is it actually? According to a large Tanzanian vegetable wholesaler, "mchicha" applies equally to Amaranth Greens and Spinach Greens. A reliable Tanzanian recipe writer calls for "Large-Leaf Spinach" claiming it as a cousin of "traditional spinach". This may be Chard.   Details and Cooking.

Beet - Red

A cultivated variety developed for edible roots, red beets are particularly appreciated in the Slavic countries but also throughout Europe and North America. The color comes from a purple pigment, betacyanin, and a yellow pigment, betaxanthin, which are acid stable so beets can be pickled. Beets are high in boron, a mineral important to production of human sex hormones, and have had an aphrodisiac reputation since Roman times. Beets are very sweet with a sugar content that can reach 10%. The photo specimens were typically 3-1/2 inches in diameter, weighed 11 ounces each, and provided an additional 7 ounces of edible greens and stems. Details and Cooking.

Beet - Golden

This cultivar is useful when you need to avoid the red pigments of regular beets getting all over everything. I find them a little less sweet and having less beet flavor than red beets so I'd use them only when the color is important. For cooking see Red Beets.

Beet - Chioggia

This Italian beet, named for a town near Venice, is sweeter than any but the sugar beet. From the outside it looks like a red beet, but internally it has alternating layers of red and white giving it a candy stripe appearance. The colors run together a bit when cooked. For cooking see Red Beets.

Beet - Sugar

While it was long known sugar could be obtained from beets, beet sugar production didn't really start until the Napoleonic wars when the British cut off cane sugar deliveries to Europe. Sugar beets produce sucrose, nearly identical to sugar from cane, and have a sugar content as high as 20%. I say "nearly identical" because beet sugar has been shown not to work as well for Crème Brûlée.   Photo USDA = Public Domain

Chard

This is a variety of beet greens developed for edible leaves, and is a vegetable deserving of wider appreciation. It is available in several colors, some of which are shown in the photo, but red and white are most common in markets. Leaves are cooked similar to spinach and the stems similar to asparagus. The photo specimens were about 15 inches long, but they can exceed 18 inches. There are varieties with thinner, more tender stems, but those marketed in North America are uniformly of the wide stemmed varieties.

Although never much grown in Switzerland, these greens were called "Swiss Chard" after a Swiss botanist, to differentiate them from Cardoons, which were also called "Chard". Cardoons are no longer called Chard, so the "Swiss" part is now redundant. Details and Cooking.

Palak

This is what Indian recipes mean by "spinach". Popular varieties are Pusa All Green and Pusa Jyoti. Über-expert Julie Sahni recommends using the closely related Chard in any Indian recipe calling for "Spinach". If you can't get Perpetual Spinach Chard (see below) use a white stemmed version of regular chard for correct color. If you don't have chard Julie recommends chopping in one small green bell pepper per pound of regular spinach to improve the flavor, but chard is very common in North American markets now.   Photo by Rameshng distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.

Perpetual Spinach Chard

[Beta vulgaris var. cicla]

It isn't spinach, and it's not perpetual, but it's probably the ideal substitute for Indian Palak (see above). Milder than regular spinach, it's of particular value in warmer climates because it's far slower to bolt in warm weather. Large lower leaves can be harvested frequently - in warmer climates even through the winter. It will definitely bolt (send up a flower stalk and stop producing large leaves) in the second year. It is not common, even in farmer's markets here in Southern California, but seeds are easily available for gardeners.

Sea Beet

A leathery leafed wild beet native to the coasts of Europe and the British Isles. Some say this is the plant from which domesticated beets were derived, but others say it was another wild beet, beta vulgaris vulgaris. In the Spring, young leaves and shoots are eaten both raw and cooked but become unpalatable later in the season.   Photo by H.Zell distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike v3.0.

Good King Henry

This is a perennial herb which sprouts multiple shoots in the spring. It was formerly an important leaf vegetable in Central and Southern Europe, including the British Isles, but is now found only in cottage gardens. Shoots can be cooked like Asparagus and mature leaves similar to Spinach.   Photo by distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike v4.0 International.

California Goosefoot

This perennial herb is native to California and Baja California. It was formerly important to the native peoples of the region as food and medicinal. The seeds were used to make a form of bread and the leaves were cooked as a vegetable.   Photo by U.S. National Parks Service = Public Domain.

Povertyweed

This fleshy annual herb is native to North America, from Alaska to New England, and south into Mexico, and also in Argentina. It exists in many environments, but prefers wetness. It was formerly important to the native peoples of the region as food and medicinal. Southern tribes ground the seeds and combined them with Mesquite beans and Corn. Leaves, roots and young stems are all edible when cooked.   Photo by Matt Lavin distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike v2.0 Generic.

Leafy Goosefoot

This annual herb is native to Eurasia, and introduced elsewhere. The leaves and red inflorescences are edible, and the leaves are used the same as Spinach. It was formerly a food crop in Europe, and there is some interest in re-introducing it to cultivation.   Photo by WildBoar contributed to the Public Domain.

Strawberry Goosefoot

This plant is native to the United States and Canada, found mostly in moist mountain valleys. The small red fruits are edible and somewhat like strawberries. The leaves can be eaten raw of cooked, but in moderation, as they contain Oxalates, similar to spinach.   Photo by Derek Ramsey distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike v2.5 Generic.

Epazote

A common weed in southern Mexico, Central and South America, Epazota is now grown in the warmer parts of North America and sometimes becomes an invasive weed here. Its main culinary use is for flavoring black beans and to a lesser extent other recipes from southern Mexico and Central America. It is reputed to prevent flatulence from eating beans and to relieve a number of medical conditions. An oil extracted from the seeds kills intestinal worms and is also an antispasmodic and abortifacient.

The smell of epazote is quite strong but extremely difficult to describe. Leading spice expert Gernot Katzer says it smells to him like epazote. Details and Cooking.

Goosefoot, White

Native to Europe and Asia, this is now a common weed all over North America (and much of the rest of the world), particularly on disturbed ground. It is a food crop in India, particularly in the north, and also in parts of Africa where it has been introduced. It is easily recognized by the leaf shape and the white powdery underside of the leaves, which repel water. The leaves and young shoots are used in soups and curries, similarly to spinach, but the flavor is different and the leaves are tougher. It produces copious seeds, which are high in quality protein, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. The seeds are harvested in parts of India and Africa.

Huauzontle

Native to Mexico, this close relative of Quinoa was once a major food crop in the region, but largely displaced by corn. Today its immature seed heads are most commonly cooked as a vegetable, but the seeds are still harvested in parts of Mexico and ground into flour. They don't have the coating of bitter saponins that must be removed from Quinoa before cooking, but that makes them vulnerable to birds, further incentive to harvest at the vegetable stage. One popular recipe uses Huauzontle bound with flour and molded around a bar of Mexican cheese, then coated in a fluffy egg batter, fried and served over tomato sauce, just as are Chilis Rellenos.   Details and Cooking.

Kañiwa

Native to southern Peru and Bolivia, this is an incompletely domesticated relative of Quinoa. It lacks the annoying bitter saponins but it doesn't ripen evenly so is difficult to harvest, and could benefit from some selective breeding. It is, non the less, important to the people of the high plain of the Andes, as it grows well at high altitudes, and is drought and cold tolerant. It is high in protein and that protein is well balanced for human nutrition. It is also high in calcium, zinc, iron, antioxidants and phenolics. It is brightly colored through most of its growing season.   Photo from Crops for the Future distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.

Quinoa

Pronounced "keenwa", this plant is native to the Andean region of South America. It is grown mostly in Peru and Bolivia but some production has been started in North America because of its reputation as a health food. While the greens are edible, they are rarely available and the seeds are the part generally used. There are many varieties with differences in coloration, including seed coloration. Most sold in North America is white, but the tricolor in the photo is also sold here.   Details and Cooking

Spinach

A native of Southwest Asia, spinach is delightful, if properly handled and cooked, but is easily abused. Many people know it only as a stringy lump of overcooked mush. Cultivars are Savoy, the most common fresh spinach, Smooth Leaf, used for frozen and processed spinach (easier to wash) and Semi-savoy, a sort of all-purpose spinach. Baby Spinach is sold in plastic bags and boxes for the yuppie salad trade - just about all the leaves are the almost flavorless oval form.

Spinach's reputation for very high iron content was due to an analyst slipping a decimal point in 1870, not corrected until 1937. It still has a higher iron content than most vegetables but not by so spectacular a measure. Spinach is also high in calcium but a high oxalate content inhibits absorption of both calcium and iron into the body. On the other hand it is high in Vitamins A, C and E, folic acid and antioxidants. Details & Cooking.

Taiwan Spinach

This spinach is very much like our regular spinach, but a lot larger and considerably milder. The photo specimens were 22 inches long, but a few leaves were more than 24 inches. Taiwan spinach is stemmy - but the stems are the most flavorful part and should always be included in the recipe. It is a very fine vegetable for use in stir fries and soups, and can be used in place of regular spinach.

This spinach is often available in Asian markets here in Los Angeles. The photo specimens were from 168 Market on Valley Blvd. in Alhambra. Do not confuse this spinach with Water Spinach (Swamp Cabbage) often called "Chinese Spinach" by recipe writers. That is a very different plant, in the morning glory family. Details & Cooking.

Agretti

This succulent shrub, native to the Mediterranean Basin, grows to about 2-1/4 feet high, and is so salt tolerant it can be irrigated with seawater. It was once very important to the production of glass, but is now of only culinary value, particularly in Italy. It can be eaten raw, but is more commonly simmered until it is crisp tender, sometimes with bacon and onions. It is said to taste much like spinach, but more interesting. It is also used as a companion plant for tomatoes and peppers when they are grown in salty soil, as it desalinizes the soil. Photo by Stefan Proud distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.

Okahijiki

This salt tolerant plant is native to Japan, Korea, China and Eastern Russia. from it's salty taste, the Japanese name means "land seaweed". Leaves and young shoots are cooked as a vegetable. Photo by Aomorikuma distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.

Samphire

A salt tolerant plant that grows near the sea, samphire has long been gathered and eaten in salads or pickled, particularly in England. It is usually steamed or simmered, then the flesh is pulled off the fibrous core. Dressed with butter or olive oil, it is said to taste similar to young spinach stems or asparagus. It is very salty, so cooked without salt. It is not to be confused with Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum) mentioned by Shakespeare - while used similarly that one is not an amaranth. Photo by Liné1 (cropped) distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.

American Glasswort

This wetlands plant is native to both Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America from Canada to Mexico, living in salt marshes. It also lives in the alkaline flats of Utah, near salt springs in New York, and in the alkali marshes of Manitoba, Canada. It is usually just blanched for 1 minute so it is still crunchy, then dressed as a salad. It may also be used in stir fries and the like, or pickled. Photo by Franco Folini distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v2.0 Gemeric.

Burningbush - Tonburi

Native to Eurasia, this plant now appears in grasslands and desert shrub environments in North America. In Japan, it is popular in large decorative plantings for its green and red colors. In Akita Prefecture, the seeds, called "Tonburi" are specially prepared as a food garnish. It is described as "Land Caviar", "Field Caviar" and "Mountain Caviar" due to its similar texture. The seeds are dried, boiled, soaked and then hand rubbed to remove the skin.   Photo of shrub by Moonik, photo of tonburi by Morigen - both distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.

Tumbleweed

Now symbolic of empty spaces in the American West, tumbleweeds were actually brought over by Ukrainian farmers with flax seed, thus the more formal name, Russian Thistle. Please note that many Ukrainians may take offence at being called "Russians". It took the plant only about 25 years to spread from South Dakota to the Pacific Coast. The plant is roughly spherical and in the fall it dries and breaks off the root to be driven many miles by the wind, scattering seeds the whole way. Tender leaves and shoots of freshly sprouted plants are eaten in salads, stir fries, or as pot herbs. They are safe in moderate quantity but have too much oxilate and nitrate to be a major culinary item.

Back in the late 1950s, every vacant lot in Burbank California was overgrown with tumbleweeds. People would spray paint dried ones white and stack them up to make Southern California snowmen around Christmas time. Today they have been so thoroughly eradicated I had to buy a picture of one for this page - but then, the vacant lot has also been eradicated from Burbank.   Photo © i0109

Umari Keerai

Locally called "Chicken Feet" for obvious reasons, this salt tolerant plant is native Sri Lanka and the east cost of India north to Bengal. It is cooked and eaten as a green, and also pickled. This plant is currently under intensive study in Karala in southern India to develop solutions for South Asian farmers whose fields will be contaminated with salt water as global warming raises sea levels. In appearance, it is the same as Salicornia europaea, so we used a photo of S. Europaea as we found no suitable photos of S. brachiata.   Photo by Marco Schmidt distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v2.5 Generic.