Spinach is a popular ingredient in European and Middle Eastern cuisines. It's often confused with silverbeet, and while interchangeable in some recipes, silverbeet (related to beetroot and spinach) takes longer to cook and has firmer stems.
Varieties
Baby spinach has flat, soft leaves and a mild flavour, best served raw in salads. English spinach has longer leaves and is sold in bunches with roots attached. It's best lightly cooked. Silverbeet (or Swiss chard) has a thick, white stem and dark green, curly leaves. The stems need a longer cooking time than the leaves.
Buying
Avoid spinach/silverbeet with limp or yellowing leaves. Look for English spinach with thin stems - they are younger and more tender. Choose silverbeet with small leaves and firm stems.
Nutrition
Spinach and silverbeet are very nutritious and low in kilojoules. They're both rich in fibre, vitamins A, K, C and folate, plus different phytochemicals, antioxidants and minerals, including iron, calcium and potassium.
Super Food Ideas - May 2009, Page 63
Yasmin Sabir
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