Red spinach
Further investigations into mysterious Chinese Greens.
After my successful purchase of "fragrant leaves" which turned out to be neither fragrant nor leaves but rather hunan winged beans which I have named x-wing fighters for their appearance in cross-section I decided to buy "red spinach" which I was reasonably sure was not spinach but was at least red.
It's often called red spinach (unlike many items at my local Chinese grocer which is only superficially concerned with trying to figure out what the English name is for any given item) so the google search was much easier than for the beans.
Here's what I learned:
Red spinach also called :
Amaranth
Yin Tsai, Yin Sai, Yeen Choy, Xian Cai (Chinese),
Chinese Spinach
Red Leaf
Red Stripe leaf
rau den (Vietnamese)
Bayam Merah (Malaysia/Indonesia),
Calaloo (Caribbean)
Hi-yu-na (Japan)
Klaroen (Surinam)
Phak khom (Thailand)
Kulitis (the Philippines)
Amaranthus leaf
Amaranth is a leafy green used just like spinach in Indian cooking.In this recipe I have used red spinach which resembles more like an Indian amaranth (thandu keerai / thandankeerai)
http://elitefoods.blogspot.ca/2010/04/kothu-keerai.html
Edible Amaranth grows very well in warm climates. This fast-growing vegetable can be harvested 30 days after sowing, by the cut-and-grow-again method. Seeds are very small and will germinate best at temperature above 65 F under dark conditions. Thin plants during the growth if necessary and thinnings can be eaten. Edible young leaves and stems are cooked like spinach. The amaranth family has many groups of plants found in various regions in the world. The following varieties are the most popular leafy amaranths grown in Asia. Soft texture and tender leaves are excellent for stir-fry and soup.
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/edamyintsach.html
This is a fascinating amaranth, often simply called Red Leaf in the market, that produces large green leaves with red stripes in the center. This variety is a vigorously growing vegetable in warm weather. Some people grow this variety as decorative plants as well as leafy vegetable plants. Young leaves and stems can be harvested periodically for a long time during the growth. This vegetable is very popular in Chinatown and Southern Asia. Chinese and Vietnamese use this vegetable for stir-fry and soup. Leaves with red stripes will release red color into soups and dishes when cooked.
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/redleaf.html
see http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/10/rau-den-luoc-vietnamese-boiled-amaranth.html
Chinese Spinach Taste and Uses
Chinese Spinach with its sweet & tangy taste makes a great salad ingredient and a nutritious meal when steam, stir-fry or sauté. In some recipes, you will find Chinese Spinach mixed with fish or meat dishes.
It can be used like normal spinach and hence can be substituted in any of your favorite spinach recipes. As it cooks faster than normal spinach, take care not to overcook it.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Chinese-Spinach-Yin-Sai-Benefits-and-Recioe
After my successful purchase of "fragrant leaves" which turned out to be neither fragrant nor leaves but rather hunan winged beans which I have named x-wing fighters for their appearance in cross-section I decided to buy "red spinach" which I was reasonably sure was not spinach but was at least red.
It's often called red spinach (unlike many items at my local Chinese grocer which is only superficially concerned with trying to figure out what the English name is for any given item) so the google search was much easier than for the beans.
Here's what I learned:
Red spinach also called :
Amaranth
Yin Tsai, Yin Sai, Yeen Choy, Xian Cai (Chinese),
Chinese Spinach
Red Leaf
Red Stripe leaf
rau den (Vietnamese)
Bayam Merah (Malaysia/Indonesia),
Calaloo (Caribbean)
Hi-yu-na (Japan)
Klaroen (Surinam)
Phak khom (Thailand)
Kulitis (the Philippines)
Amaranthus leaf
Amaranth is a leafy green used just like spinach in Indian cooking.In this recipe I have used red spinach which resembles more like an Indian amaranth (thandu keerai / thandankeerai)
http://elitefoods.blogspot.ca/2010/04/kothu-keerai.html
Edible Amaranth grows very well in warm climates. This fast-growing vegetable can be harvested 30 days after sowing, by the cut-and-grow-again method. Seeds are very small and will germinate best at temperature above 65 F under dark conditions. Thin plants during the growth if necessary and thinnings can be eaten. Edible young leaves and stems are cooked like spinach. The amaranth family has many groups of plants found in various regions in the world. The following varieties are the most popular leafy amaranths grown in Asia. Soft texture and tender leaves are excellent for stir-fry and soup.
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/edamyintsach.html
This is a fascinating amaranth, often simply called Red Leaf in the market, that produces large green leaves with red stripes in the center. This variety is a vigorously growing vegetable in warm weather. Some people grow this variety as decorative plants as well as leafy vegetable plants. Young leaves and stems can be harvested periodically for a long time during the growth. This vegetable is very popular in Chinatown and Southern Asia. Chinese and Vietnamese use this vegetable for stir-fry and soup. Leaves with red stripes will release red color into soups and dishes when cooked.
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/redleaf.html
see http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/10/rau-den-luoc-vietnamese-boiled-amaranth.html
Chinese Spinach Taste and Uses
Chinese Spinach with its sweet & tangy taste makes a great salad ingredient and a nutritious meal when steam, stir-fry or sauté. In some recipes, you will find Chinese Spinach mixed with fish or meat dishes.
It can be used like normal spinach and hence can be substituted in any of your favorite spinach recipes. As it cooks faster than normal spinach, take care not to overcook it.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Chinese-Spinach-Yin-Sai-Benefits-and-Recioe