[Mchicha (Swahili); Terere (Kikuyu); subfamily Amaranthoideae
-or- subfamily Chenopodioideae]
This is a very important green in Tanzania and Kenya, but what is it actually? According to a large Tanzanian vegetable wholesaler, "mchicha" applies to both Amaranth Greens and Spinach Greens. "Spinach" is also an uncertain word, applied to various greens worldwide that may or may not be related to our North American Spinach.
A very reliable Tanzanian recipe writer calls for "Large-Leaf Spinach" claiming it as a cousin of "traditional spinach". This may be Chard. Another East African recipe writer also tried, and failed, to find an English or botanical name, but she did publish photos, which look most to be white stemmed Chard. Many other writers call for Spinach, with photos that look like our spinach, but many others firmly identify the greens as Amaranth, and cooking times given vary greatly. Mchicha may be all of these, and all are members of the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae), so it's all OK.
As for Amaranth, that big Tanzanian wholesaler says Amaranth was brought from the Americas, but I see no reason Asian Amaranth might not also be present in East Africa. For cooking, they are quite interchangeable. I would favor Amaranth over Spinach as it holds up better in African recipes, which tend to be stews, but greens are also served minimally cooked and lightly seasoned.
Chard is very popular in North Africa and South Africa, so I see no reason it wouldn't also be used in between. Certainly it would grow better in the Equatorial East African highlands than our regular spinach, which likes cool weather. I wouldn't hesitate to use white stemmed Chard, which is widely available in North America. Here in Los Angeles it's just a short drive get either Asian or American Amaranth Greens, but Chard is everywhere. The photo at the top is American Amaranth.
More on Amaranth Family (including
Chard, Spinach, and Amaranth Greens).
ch_mchichz 210602 - www.clovegarden.com
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