History

• Spinach may have originated in the area of the middle east now known as Iran, but it also appears in Chinese history as early as 700 A.D. when it was sent as a gift from the king of Nepal to the Chinese emperor. A few centuries later it became popular in Europe, and was actually known simply as "the Spanish vegetable" in England for many years. Catherine de Medici is said to have brought her own cooks with her to France when she married the king there in order to continue to enjoy spinach prepared in ways that she liked best. The vegetable enjoys continued popularity today among food aficionados and gourmets everywhere.

Types

• There are four types of this delicious, leafy vegetable, and they are extremely different in appearance and taste. Savoy spinach has dark green, wrinkled leaves and a sharp taste, while flat and smooth-leaf spinach have smooth-edged, flat leaves that are easier to clean and slightly sweeter and crisp in taste. Semi-savoy is a mix of these two, and many people like it because it is easier to clean than savoy but has a stronger edge to it than flat-leaf. Finally, baby spinach is tender and sweet with leaves generally no more than 3 inches long. There are a wide array of varieties of these four types that are based around when they are harvested and where they are grown.

Features

• Good, ripe spinach will have green leaves that are not wilted or brown on the edges. It tastes sweeter when raw, and becomes sharper when it is cooked. Spinach is popular in salads and as a healthy addition to other dishes like lasagna, meatloaf and anything "florentine."

Benefits

• Spinach has countless conclusively proven health benefits as well as many suspected benefits that have not yet been formally acknowledged by the medical community. Spinach is thought to help prevent and fight cancer, build strong bones, promote gastrointestinal health and discourage heart attacks, even if you already have cardiovascular issues. It is also a great source of vitamins C and K and is a documented anti-inflammatory agent, which means that it can sooth infected and inflamed parts of your body, like stomach ulcers. Some scientists even suspect that these properties help discourage age-related mental issues like Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia as well as more simple memory loss over time.

Misconceptions

• Probably due in large part to the popular Popeye cartoons, many of us envision building tremendous muscles by supplementing our exercise routines with cans of spinach. However, in reality, cooking spinach dramatically lessons the health benefits that you can accrue from eating it. If you must cook your spinach, steam it lightly and then serve it while it is still warm.

Warning

• Spinach is incredibly good for most people, but some people experience severe allergic reactions to this highly beneficial vegetable. In fact, spinach is one of the foods most commonly associated with allergic reactions. If you have never eaten spinach before or do not believe a child or loved one has been exposed to it, then be sure to monitor them after consumption to make sure that they do not have an allergic reaction. Common symptoms are hives, itching and upset stomach. If you are allergic to spinach, do not continue to eat it. You can seriously endanger your health.