Spinach | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Amaranthaceae |
Genus: | Spinacia |
Species: | S. oleracea |
Binomial name | |
Spinacia oleracea | |
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and Western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either fresh, or after storage using preservation techniques by canning, freezing, or dehydration. It may be eaten cooked or raw, and the taste differs considerably; the high oxalate content may be reduced by steaming.
It is an annual plant (rarely biennial), growing as tall as 30 cm (1 ft). Spinach may overwinter in temperate regions. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to triangular, and very variable in size: 2–30 cm (1–12 in) long and 1–15 cm (1⁄2–6 in) broad, with larger leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the flowering stem. The flowers are inconspicuous, yellow-green, 3–4 mm (1⁄8–5⁄32 in) in diameter, and mature into a small, hard, dry, lumpy fruit cluster 5–10 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) across containing several seeds.
In 2022, world production of spinach was 33 million tonnes, with China alone accounting for 93% of the total. [1]
Originally from Persian aspānāḵ, the name entered European languages from Latin spinagium, which borrowed it from Arabic isbanakh. [2] [3] The English word "spinach" dates to the late 14th century from the Old French word espinache. [3]
Common spinach (S. oleracea) was long considered to be in the family Chenopodiaceae, but in 2003 that family was merged into the Amaranthaceae in the order Caryophyllales. [4] [5] Within the family Amaranthaceae sensu lato , Spinach belongs to the subfamily Chenopodioideae. [6]
As opposed to most flowering plants used as vegetables, spinach is a dioecious plant, meaning different plants can have either female or male flowers. [a] [7] The flowers are small, green and[ [anemophily|wind pollinated]].
Spinach is thought to have originated about 2,000 years ago in ancient Persia from which it was introduced to India and later to ancient China via Nepal in 647 CE as the "Persian vegetable". [8] In 827 CE, the Arabs introduced spinach to Sicily. [9] The first written evidence of spinach in the Mediterranean was recorded in three 10th-century works: a medical work by al-Rāzī (known as Rhazes in the West) and in two agricultural treatises, one by Ibn Waḥshīyah and the other by Qusṭus al-Rūmī. Spinach became a popular vegetable in the Arab Mediterranean and arrived in the Iberian Peninsula by the latter part of the 12th century, where Ibn al-ʻAwwām called it raʼīs al-buqūl, 'the chieftain of leafy greens'. [10] Spinach was also the subject of a special treatise in the 11th century by Ibn Ḥajjāj. [11] [ better source needed ]
Spinach first appeared in England and France in the 14th century, probably via Iberia, and gained common use because it appeared in early spring when fresh local vegetables were not available. [8] Spinach is mentioned in the first known English cookbook, the Forme of Cury (1390), where it is referred to as 'spinnedge' and 'spynoches'. [8] [12] During World War I, wine fortified with spinach juice was given to injured French soldiers with the intent to curtail their bleeding. [8] [13]
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy | 97 kJ (23 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.6 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sugars | 0.4 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dietary fiber | 2.2 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.4 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2.9 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Water | 91.4 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [14] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [15] |
Raw spinach is 91% water, 4% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contains negligible fat (table). In a 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving providing 97 kilojoules (23 kilocalories) of food energy, spinach has a high nutritional value, especially when fresh, frozen, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and folate (31-52% DV), with an especially high content of vitamin K (403% DV) (table). Spinach is a moderate source (10–19% of DV) of the B vitamins, riboflavin and vitamin B6, vitamin E, potassium, iron, magnesium, and dietary fiber (table).
Although spinach contains moderate amounts of iron and calcium, it also contains oxalates, which may inhibit absorption of calcium and iron in the stomach and small intestine. Cooked spinach has lower levels of oxalates, and its nutrients may be absorbed more completely. [16] [17]
Cooking spinach significantly decreases its vitamin C concentration, as vitamin C is degraded by heating. Folate levels may also be decreased, as folate tends to leach into cooking liquid. [18]
Spinach is rich in nitrates and nitrites, which may exceed safe levels if spinach is over-consumed. [19]
Spinach is eaten raw, in salads, and cooked in soups, curries, or casseroles. Dishes with spinach as a main ingredient include spinach salad, spinach soup, spinach dip, saag paneer, pkhali, ispanakhi matsvnit, and spanakopita.
In classical French cuisine, a spinach-based dish may be described as à la Florentine. [20]
Country | Production (millions of tonnes) |
---|---|
China | 30.7 |
United States | 0.4 |
Japan | 0.2 |
Turkey | 0.2 |
World | 33.1 |
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Statistics Division [1] |
In 2022, world production of spinach was 33 million tonnes, with China alone accounting for 93% of the total. [1]
Fresh spinach is sold loose, bunched, or packaged fresh in bags. Fresh spinach loses much of its nutritional value with storage of more than a few days. [21] Fresh spinach is packaged in air, or in nitrogen gas to extend shelf life. While refrigeration slows this effect to about eight days, fresh spinach loses most of its folate and carotenoid content over this period of time. For longer storage, it is canned, or blanched or cooked and frozen. [21]
Some packaged spinach is exposed to radiation to kill any harmful bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration approves of irradiation of spinach leaves up to 4.0 kilograys, having no or only a minor effect on nutrient content. [22]
Spinach may be high in cadmium contamination depending on the soil and location where the spinach is grown. [23]
Due to spinach's high content of vitamin K, individuals taking the anticoagulant warfarin, which acts by inhibiting vitamin K, are instructed to minimize consumption of spinach (and other dark green leafy vegetables). [24]
The comics and cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man is portrayed as gaining strength by consuming canned spinach. [27] The accompanying song lyric is: "I'm strong to the finich [ sic ], 'cuz I eats me spinach." [28] This is usually attributed to the iron content of spinach, but in a 1932 strip, Popeye states that "spinach is full of vitamin A" and that is what makes people strong and healthy. [29] As it happens, spinach is not a better source of dietary iron than many other vegetables. The false idea that spinach is an especially good source of dietary iron is an academic urban legend. [30]
Amaranthus is a cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some of the better known names include "prostrate pigweed" and "love lies bleeding". Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants.
Kohlrabi, also called German turnip or turnip cabbage, is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. It is a cultivar of the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan.
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of Brassica oleracea, is a leafy green, red (purple), or white biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage, and belongs to the "cole crops" or brassicas, meaning it is closely related to broccoli and cauliflower ; Brussels sprouts ; and Savoy cabbage.
Edamame is an East Asian dish prepared with immature soybeans in their pods, which are boiled or steamed, and may be served with salt or other condiments. The dish has become popular across the world because it is rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, and isoflavones. When the beans are outside the pod, the term mukimame is also sometimes used in Japanese. Edamame are a common side dish in Japanese cuisine and as an appetizer to alcoholic beverages such as beer or shōchū. As an ingredient, edamame are found in both sweet and savory dishes such as takikomi gohan, tempura, and zunda-mochi.
Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, or florets, usually dark green, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thick stalk, which is usually light green. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli resembles cauliflower, which is a different but closely related cultivar group of the same Brassica species.
Beta vulgaris (beet) is a species of flowering plant in the subfamily Betoideae of the family Amaranthaceae. Economically, it is the most important crop of the large order Caryophyllales. It has several cultivar groups: the sugar beet, of greatest importance to produce table sugar; the root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet; the leaf vegetable known as chard or spinach beet or silverbeet; and mangelwurzel, which is a fodder crop. Three subspecies are typically recognised. All cultivars, despite their quite different morphologies, fall into the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. The wild ancestor of the cultivated beets is the sea beet.
The Brussels sprout is a member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages, grown for its edible buds.
B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. They are a chemically diverse class of compounds.
Cress, sometimes referred to as garden cress to distinguish it from similar plants also referred to as cress, is a rather fast-growing, edible herb.
Chard or Swiss chard is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf blade; the Cicla Group is the leafy spinach beet. The leaf blade can be green or reddish; the leaf stalks are usually white, yellow or red.
Collard is a group of loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea, the same species as many common vegetables including cabbage and broccoli. Part of the Acephala (kale) cultivar group, it is also classified as the variety B. oleracea var. viridis.
Kale, also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage cultivars primarily grown for their edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant.
Bok choy, pak choi or pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage cultivated as a leaf vegetable to be used as food. Varieties do not form heads and have green leaf blades with lighter bulbous bottoms instead, forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard greens. Its flavor is described as being between spinach and water chestnuts but slightly sweeter, with a mildly peppery undertone. The green leaves have a stronger flavor than the white bulb.
Portulaca oleracea is an annual succulent in the family Portulacaceae.
Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad greens.
Butternut squash, known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma, is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has tan-yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp with a compartment of seeds in the blossom end. When ripening, the flesh turns increasingly deep orange due to its rich content of beta-carotene, a provitamin A compound.
Savoy cabbage is a variety or cultivar group of the plant species Brassica oleracea. Savoy cabbage is a winter vegetable and one of several cabbage varieties. It has crinkled, emerald green leaves, which are crunchy with a slightly elastic consistency on the palate.
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and used extensively in South and Southeast Asia. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree, or malunggay.
Tetragonia tetragonioides, commonly called New Zealand spinach, Warrigal greens and other local names, is a flowering plant in the fig-marigold family (Aizoaceae). It is often cultivated as a leafy vegetable.
Breynia androgyna, also known as katuk, star gooseberry, or sweet leaf, is a shrub grown in some tropical regions as a leaf vegetable. Its multiple upright stems can reach heights of 2.5 meters and bear dark green oval leaves of length 5–6 centimetres.
Many a New Yorkerism (e.g., Cartoonist Carl Rose's 'I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it') has become a part of the language.