Spinach

Spinach as a vegetable is only commonly known in East Asia and Southeast Asia, so it is referred to in
English as Chinese amaranth. In Indonesia and Malaysia, spinach is often mistaken for “spinach” in
English (perhaps as a result of the translation in the Popeye cartoon ), when the name refers to another
type of leaf vegetable - see Spinach (Spinacia).

The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to triangular, and very variable in size: 2–30 cm (1–12 in) long
and 1–15 cm (0.4–5.9 in) broad, with leaves that are larger at the base of the plant and small leaves
higher on the flowering stem. The flowers are showy, yellow-green, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) in diameter,
and grow into small, hard, dry, lumpy fruit clusters of 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) throughout contains some
seeds.

At the consumer level, there are two kinds of vegetable spinach; picked spinach and pulled spinach.
Pickled spinach has broad leaves and grows erect and large (up to two meters) and the young leaves are
eaten mainly as fresh vegetables (for example in pecel, gado-gado, urap, and fried after being coated
with flour). Pulled spinach leaves are smaller in size and planted for a short time (maximum 25 days),
more suitable for making thin soups such as spinach and bobor vegetables . Pickled spinach usually
comes from the type A. hybridus (spinach snapper) and pulled spinach were mainly taken from A.
tricolor. Other species that are also used are A. spinosus (spinach with thorns) and A. blitum (spinach
kotok).

The iron content in spinach is relatively higher than other leafy vegetables (iron is a constituent of
cytochromes, a protein involved in photosynthesis ) so it is useful for people with anemia.

Some cultivars of A. tricolor have red or white leaves and are used as ornamental plants, although
they can also be used as vegetables. Another type of ornamental plant is A. caudatus because its long
red flower bunches hang like a tail. In its place of origin, spinach seeds are used (seed spinach) as a
source of carbohydrates. This seed is now also popular as a diet food because it does not cause obesity.