Is Amaranthus the same as spinach?
Red spinach is a member of the plant family Amaranthaceae, which includes nearly 2,500 species ranging from spinach to beetroot to grains such as amaranth and quinoa. Belonging to the Amaranthus genus, red spinach is nearly identical to its green cousin Amaranthus viridis, also known as slender amaranth.
Can you eat amaranth greens?
Amaranth greens, a/k/a pigweed, are some of the most nutritious leafy greens you can eat. Amaranth leaves are eaten all over the world, from India to Southeast Asia, Greece to Mexico. Here’s how to harvest and cook them.
What is Red spinach called?
Amaranthus dubius, the red spinach, Chinese spinach, (simplified Chinese: 苋菜; traditional Chinese: 莧菜; pinyin: xiàncài), spleen amaranth, hon-toi-moi, yin choy, hsien tsai, or Arai keerai (அரை கீரை) is a plant species. It belongs to the economically important family Amaranthaceae.
What is the English name of Amaranthus?
Amaranthus viridis is a cosmopolitan species in the botanical family Amaranthaceae and is commonly known as slender amaranth or green amaranth….
| Amaranthus viridis | |
|---|---|
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
What is amaranth used for?
Amaranth is a plant. The seed, oil, and leaf are used as food. The entire plant is used to make medicine. Amaranth is used for ulcers, diarrhea, swelling of the mouth or throat, and high cholesterol, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Which is better red or green spinach?
There is also quite a big difference between green and red spinach, not just in color but also in oxalate levels. It’s important to note that green spinach is high in oxalates, which can contribute to kidney stones and painful urination among other things. Red spinach extract is oxalate free.
How do amaranth leaves taste?
Amaranth greens are similar in taste to spinach, if not a bit heartier in texture. Amaranth seeds taste nutty and delicious when popped, and when cooked into porridge, become slightly gelatinous in texture (similar to chia crossed with cream-of-wheat).
How do you eat amaranth?
Amaranth can be used in savory dishes as well as a sweet breakfast porridge, while the popped amaranth can be sprinkled over salads, stirred into soups, baked into breads and cookies, or simply enjoyed as a snack or even a breakfast cereal. The flour can be incorporated into baked goods like bread and pizza dough.
Can you eat amaranth every day?
There are plenty of ways to enjoy amaranth as a part of your daily diet: Boil whole amaranth grain in a 3/1 ratio of water to amaranth to make porridge. Pop dried amaranth like popcorn and eat it as a snack. Put popped amaranth on salads or in soups.
Is amaranth a carcinogen?
Since 1976 Amaranth dye has been banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a suspected carcinogen. Its use is still legal in some countries, notably in the United Kingdom where it is most commonly used to give glacé cherries their distinctive color.
Is green amaranth toxic?
Avoid eating too much amaranth from agricultural fields. The leaves (like those of spinach, sorrel and many other greens) also contain oxalic acid, which can be poisonous to livestock or to humans with kidney issues of eaten in large amounts.
What is Chinese red spinach amaranth?
Simple and easy Chinese red spinach amaranth greens (yin choy) stir fry with garlic is a classic Chinese vegetable dish. This Chinese red spinach recipe takes around 10 minutes! It’s great for lunch or dinner as a vegetable side dish. Let’s learn how to cook this Chinese red spinach amaranth, yin choy, at home. Love vegetable dishes?
What does amaranth look like?
The plants produce single flowers on terminal spikes which typically red to purple in color. Amaranths can reach up to 2.5 m (6.6 ft) in height and are usually grown as annuals, harvested after one growing season. Amaranth may also be referred to as Chinese spinach and their origin is unclear due to their worldwide distribution.
Can you eat amaranth leaves?
Amaranth leaves and stems are commonly eaten after cooking in a manner similar to spinach. There are four main species which are cultivated as vegetables; A. cruentus, A. blitum, A. dubius, and A. tricolor.
What is red spinach called in Chinese?
Amaranthus dubius is a plant species name for Chinese spinach. It is a family of amaranthaceae. In Cantonese, it called yin choy (莧菜) or xiàncài (苋菜) in Mandarin. Yin choy has two types. One is green, the other type is red. Red yin choy part of the leaves is red and when you cook them the liquid is red purple that’s why people call it red spinach.