Spinach is a tender leafy vegetable that grows 30 cm and taller and is related to beetroot and sweet melon. Its fleshy leaves form a rosette. Early sowings produce the fine-leaved spring and summer spinach, later ones the coarser winter spinach. The distinction between "leaf" and "root" spinach is not a matter of different cultivars, but of different harvesting methods.

Origin

It is thought to be native to Central Asia. Today, spinach is grown all over the world, except in tropical regions. The main growing countries in the EC are Italy, France and Germany. Spinach is available all year round.

Tips

Printed spinach should not be reheated, as the nitrate in the spinach converts into nitrite and could lead to health problems.

Preparation

Pinach should only be heated carefully to preserve the above-mentioned ingredients. Or try the many different ways of preparing spinach in Italian cuisine.