RED SPINACH

Leafy greens are an essential - but often overlooked - feature of cuisine macrobiotique. For reasons of health and for sundry other reasons leafy vegetables ought to be included in most meals. It is remarkable how few leafy vegetables are included in the average Western diet. Sometimes there is a bit of spinach and sometimes there is a bit of silverbeet, both usually cooked to death, and that is about all. This is another area in which Asian cultures have retained much stronger elements of tradition. When you venture into Asian grocery stores or Asian markets you are confronted by a whole array of odd leafy vegetables. They are commonly used in soups and stir-fries.

One that I have been experimenting with of late, precisely because it is available in abundance in the local Asian stores, is en choy or amaranthus tricolor. It is an edible amaranth leaf. See picture above. It is also called Red Spinach or Chinese Red Spinach, among many other common names. It can sometimes be found growing in local gardens as an ornamental, but the Chinese, Vietnamese and others use it as a vegetable. By taste it is not dissimilar to ordinary (English) spinach and can be used pretty much as spinach is used. Loosely chop it for inclusion in miso soup, or steam it as a wholesome side dish. I certainly recommend it. It is widely available in Asian stores and always very cheap, at least during summer because it is a plant that thrives in hot weather.

I am planning to grow it in future. I am told that it is not too fussy about soil conditions and is not overly thirsty for water. The Chinese people I've spoken to have been very helpful, as always, and can provide useful tips on growing, cultivating and cooking it. They have an obvious passion for it. I assume (but I'm not entirely sure) that it is frost tender, so it grows from spring through to autumn.

If you see it in Asian stores, give it a try. Most of our favourite leafy vegetables are brassicas - cabbage family. This makes a delightful - and colourful - change.