Spinach

This article is about the plant, Spinacia oleracea. For other uses, see Spinach (disambiguation).

Spinach
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Spinacia
Species:	S. oleracea
Binomial name
Spinacia oleracea L.

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]

Etymology

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]

Taxonomy

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]

Description

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 wind pollinated.

• 
  Spinach male flowers
• 
  Spinach female flowers
• 
  Round seeds of the 'Monnopa' cultivar
• 
  Spiky seeds of the 'Erste Ernte' cultivar

History

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]

Culinary use

Nutrients

Spinach, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	97 kJ (23 kcal)
Carbohydrates	3.6 g
Sugars	0.4 g
Dietary fiber	2.2 g
Fat	0.4 g
Protein	2.9 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV^† Vitamin A equiv. beta-Carotene lutein zeaxanthin 52% 469 μg 52% 5626 μg 12198 μg Vitamin A 9377 IU Thiamine (B1) 7% 0.078 mg Riboflavin (B2) 15% 0.189 mg Niacin (B3) 5% 0.724 mg Vitamin B6 11% 0.195 mg Folate (B9) 49% 194 μg Vitamin C 31% 28 mg Vitamin E 13% 2 mg Vitamin K 403% 483 μg Minerals Quantity %DV^† Calcium 8% 99 mg Iron 15% 2.71 mg Magnesium 19% 79 mg Manganese 39% 0.897 mg Phosphorus 4% 49 mg Potassium 19% 558 mg Sodium 3% 79 mg Zinc 5% 0.53 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	91.4 g
Link to USDA database entry
^†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]

Cuisine

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]

• 
  Chicken Florentine, meaning with spinach
• 
  Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pastry.
• 
  Spinach is called saag in Indian cuisine.

Production

Spinach production - 2022

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]

Marketing and safety

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]

In popular culture

The American phrase "I say it's spinach" meaning "nonsense" comes from a 1928 cartoon in The New Yorker.^[25][26]

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]

See also

• Green leafy vegetable
• Ipomoea aquatica
• Kale
• Mountain spinach
• Palmer amaranth
• Spinach in the United States
• Tetragonia tetragonioides
• White goosefoot

Notes

1. Asparagus and sorrel are the other notable exceptions.

References

1. "Spinach production in 2022; Crops/Regions/World/Production Quantity/Year from pick lists". UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
2. Julia Cresswell (9 September 2010). Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. OUP Oxford. p. 415. ISBN 978-0-19-954793-7.
3. "Spinach". Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper. 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
4. "Caryophyllales". www.mobot.org. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
5. Pam Dawling (1 February 2013). Sustainable Market Farming: Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres. New Society Publishers. pp. 244–. ISBN 978-1-55092-512-8.
6. Rubatzky, Vincent E.; Yamaguchi, Mas (1997), Rubatzky, Vincent E.; Yamaguchi, Mas (eds.), "Spinach, Table Beets, and Other Vegetable Chenopods", World Vegetables: Principles, Production, and Nutritive Values, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 457–473, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-6015-9_21, ISBN 978-1-4615-6015-9, retrieved 2021-06-11
7. Birlouez, Éric (2020). "Une fabuleuse diversité, «L'épinard, légume de carème»" [A fabulous diversity, «Spinach, the lent vegetable»]. Petite et grande histoire des légumes [A small and great history of vegetables]. Carnets de sciences (in French) (1 ed.). Versailles/impr. en Suisse: Quæ. p. 52-54. ISBN 978-2-7592-3196-6. Quæ
8. "Spinach history - origins of different types of spinach". Vegetable Facts. 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
9. Rolland, Jacques L.; Sherman, Carol (2006). The Food Encyclopedia. Toronto: Robert Rose. pp. 335–338. ISBN 9780778801504.
10. Ibn al-ʻAwwām, Yaḥyá ibn Muḥammad (1802). "23.8". Kitāb al-Filāḥah. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
11. Clifford A. Wright. Mediterranean Vegetables: A Cook's ABC of Vegetables and their Preparation in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa, with More than 200 Authentic Recipes for the Home Cook. (Boston: Harvard Common Press, 2001). pp. 300-301.
12. Rolland, Jacques; Sherman, Carol (2006). The Food Encyclopedia: Over 8,000 Ingredients, Tools, Techniques and People. Spinach. Toronto: Robert Rose. ISBN 9780778801504. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
13. Margaret Grieve; Maud Grieve (1 June 1971). A modern herbal: the medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and economic properties, cultivation and folk-lore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs, & trees with all their modern scientific uses. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 761–. ISBN 978-0-486-22799-3. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
14. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
15. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). "Chapter 4: Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". In Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). pp. 120–121. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
16. "Osteoporosis Diet & Nutrition: Foods for Bone Health". National Osteoporosis Foundation. 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
17. Noonan, S.C.; Savage, G.P. (1999). "Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans" (PDF). Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 8 (1): 64–74. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6047.1999.00038.x. PMID 24393738.
18. Delchier, N.; Reich, M.; Renard, C.M.G.C. (December 2012). "Impact of cooking methods on folates, ascorbic acid and lutein in green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and spinach (Spinacea oleracea)". Food Science and Technology. 49 (2): 197–201. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2012.06.017.
19. Iammarino, M; Di Taranto, A.; Cristino, M. (2014). "Monitoring of nitrites and nitrates levels in leafy vegetables (spinach and lettuce): a contribution to risk assessment". J Sci Food Agric. 94 (4). Wiley: 773–778. Bibcode:2014JSFA...94..773I. doi:10.1002/jsfa.6439. PMID 24122771.
20. Franey, Pierre (October 5, 1983). "60-minute Gourmet: Chicken breasts enhanced with a spinach stuffing". New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
21. Pennsylvania State University (23 March 2005). "Storage time and temperature effects nutrients in spinach". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
22. Bliss, Rosalie Marion (27 May 2010). "Nutrient retention of safer salads explored". US Department of Agriculture.
23. "ToxGuide for cadmium" (PDF). Atlanta, GA: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, US Department of Health and Human Services. October 2012.
24. Sheps SG (19 April 2018). "Warfarin diet: What foods should I avoid?". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
25. Douglas Harper. "spinach (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
26. "The Press: I Say It's Spinach". Time. October 22, 1951. Retrieved February 1, 2014. 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.
27. Gabbat, Adam (8 December 2009). "E.C. Segar, Popeye's creator, celebrated with a Google doodle". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
28. Holloway, Diane (2001). American History in Song: Lyrics from 1900 to 1945. Authors Choice Press. p. 294. ISBN 978-0-595-19331-8. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
29. Joe Schwarcz, Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules: Separating Fact from Fiction in the Science of Everyday Life, 2015, ISBN 1770411917, p. 245; spinach actually contains beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A
30. Rekdal, Ole Bjorn (June 12, 2014). "Academic urban legends". Social Studies of Science. 44 (4): 638–654. doi:10.1177/0306312714535679. PMC 4232290.

External links

• Data related to Spinach at Wikispecies
• Spinach at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject