In earlier times, when spinach was not ready to cook on supermarket shelves, New Zealand spinach was highly prized as a substitute for real spinach. This is because, unlike true spinach, it does not bolt in warm temperatures, providing edible leaves from early summer into fall.
Here’s what you should know about New Zealand spinach
Like true spinach, New Zealand spinach contains oxalic acid and saponins, which give it a slightly bitter taste. However, the content of bitter substances is lower compared to the classic spinach plants. As the name suggests, New Zealand spinach originates from New Zealand. However, the plant, which is related to ice plant, is also found on the coasts of Australia, Tasmania and Japan. Despite the rather similar aroma, the leafy vegetable is not related to spinach, which belongs to the goosefoot family, but belongs to the midday flowers (Aizoaceae). The Latin name of the plant is Tetragonia tetragonioides. New Zealand spinach is an annual herb that is in season between July and October and must be harvested regularly. It is mainly the thick, juicy leaves and shoot tips that are used, although the leafy vegetable is rarely available commercially in our country. The vegetable spoils quickly after harvesting. However, you can easily grow the tasty vegetable in your own garden and even on the balcony. When sowing in spring, it should be noted that the large hard-shelled seeds of the frost-sensitive plant germinate very slowly. Thus, direct sowing is not recommended, because too much time would pass until the first harvest. The initially rather puny little plants thrive best in a sunny location with nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil and develop into imposing plants that cover about one square meter of soil per plant. To ensure a tasty, lasting and abundant harvest, the plants must be harvested regularly. This is the only way to constantly grow new shoots that taste soft and delicate. Both raw as a salad and prepared like spinach, the triangular, fleshy leaves are a delicious alternative to frozen produce. New Zealand spinach even thrives as a container plant, making it possible to harvest spinach on the balcony. The aroma is quite similar to that of real spinach, only stronger.
Importance for health
100 grams of New Zealand spinach contains up to 30 milligrams of vitamin C, moreover, like almost all green leafy vegetables, also contains provitamin A, vitamin E and various vitamins from the B group (especially vitamin B2, which is also known as riboflavin), abundant calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Furthermore, New Zealand spinach contains potassium. Like the real spinach, New Zealand spinach contains oxalic acid and saponins, which give it a slightly bitter taste. However, the content of bitter substances is lower compared to the classic spinach plants, which is why children usually prefer this leafy vegetable.
Ingredients and nutritional values
Fresh New Zealand spinach contains many vitamins and minerals valuable for the body and health, but very few calories. 100 grams of the fresh, unprocessed sprouts contain about 21 kilocalories. The content of proteins and carbohydrates is also very low, two and three grams, respectively. For this reason, the leafy vegetable is ideal for a healthy and conscious diet, but should not be prepared with too much fat (e.g. cream). Furthermore, 100 grams of New Zealand spinach contain up to 180 milligrams of magnesium, 150 milligrams of phosphorus and 60 milligrams of calcium. The iron content is very low, averaging 2.6 milligrams. Thus, just 100 grams of this vegetable provides about half the daily requirement of magnesium (according to the DGE, adults 25 years and older should consume 350 milligrams of magnesium daily), about one-seventh of an adult’s daily requirement of phosphorus (according to the DGE, 700 milligrams), and as much as three times the daily requirement of vitamin C (according to the DGE, 10 milligrams).
Intolerances and allergies
Those who are sensitive to oxalic acid should avoid New Zealand spinach or combine it with foods that contain calcium, such as a glass of milk, cottage cheese, or a yogurt dressing. The calcium in milk neutralizes the bitter oxalic acid. Caution is also advised in rainy, cold summers with few days of sunshine, because New Zealand spinach develops high nitrate levels under low-sun growing conditions.For the same reason, the vegetables should be cultivated in the garden in the most sunny places.
Purchasing and kitchen tips
In the kitchen, use only the young shoots, about up to ten centimeters long, with four to five dark green, thick leaves on them. Harvest the plants as early and often as possible, because the more often you cut the shoot tips, the more the plant will branch out and allow for a better harvest. However, harvested New Zealand spinach will only keep fresh in the refrigerator for a few hours after harvest, so you should process it immediately afterward. For short-term storage until consumption, it is best to wrap the harvested New Zealand spinach in a damp kitchen towel and put it in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. By the way, the short shelf life is the main reason why the vegetable is not available in supermarkets. The fresh leaves are prepared either as a salad or like conventional spinach. To do this, blanch the shoots with the leaves either whole or finely chopped briefly in boiling water. New Zealand spinach can then be preserved by freezing it. Of course, fresh preparation as a leafy vegetable is also possible. Raw as a salad taste especially the early summer leaves, they are particularly tender and flavorful. For raw consumption, you should pluck the leaves from the tougher stems. Also, the later the leaves are harvested, the firmer they become. Therefore, New Zealand spinach harvested in late summer or fall is most suitable for blanching, steaming, or even boiling. To prepare them, simply rinse the leaves under running water and then pat dry with a kitchen towel or dry in a salad spinner. A major advantage is that the leaves and shoots of New Zealand spinach do not collapse nearly as much as those of conventional spinach, which is not particularly productive in this respect. Because of the nitrate it contains, New Zealand spinach, like German spinach, should not be reheated.
Preparation tips
Although New Zealand spinach does not botanically belong to the spinach plants, it can be prepared like spinach vegetables. The term “spinach vegetable” does not come from botany, but from cooking. It describes a method of preparation. Typically, spinach vegetables are prepared by steaming, boiling or blanching the leaves with or without the stems. Liquids such as oil, water or broth are suitable for steaming, and the cooking time for all types of preparation is very short, eight to ten minutes maximum. In addition, many of the vitamins contained in New Zealand spinach – such as vitamin C – are sensitive to heat, so a short cooking time in little liquid is recommended.
