Chard

"Silverbeet" redirects here. For the album by The Bats, see Silverbeet (album).
Red Chard growing at Slow Food Nation
Chard sauteed with garlic and leeks

Chard, also known by the common names Swiss Chard[1], Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach, Spinach Beet, Crab Beet, Seakale Beet, and Mangold, is a leafy vegetable, and is one of the cultivated descendants of the sea beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. Although the leaves are eaten, it is in the same species as beetroot (garden beet) which is usually grown primarily for its edible roots.[2]

Contents

Etymology

The word Swiss was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalog publishers. The chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks. The first varieties have been traced back to Sicily.

Growth

Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender or after maturity when they are larger and have slightly tougher stems. Raw chard is extremely perishable.

Chard has shiny green ribbed leaves, with stems that range from white to yellow and red depending on the cultivar. It has a slightly bitter taste. Fresh young chard can be used raw in salads. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked (like in pizzoccheri) or sauteed; their bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a refined flavor which is more delicate than that of cooked spinach.

Swiss chard on sale at an outdoor market

Cultivars of chard include green forms, such as 'Lucullus' and 'Fordhook Giant', as well as red-ribbed forms such as 'Ruby Chard', 'Rainbow Chard', and 'Rhubarb Chard'.[2]

Species

Chard and the other beets are chenopods, a group which is either its own family Chenopodiaceae or a subfamily within the Amaranthaceae.

Chard is used in a variety of cultures around the world, including Palestinian cuisine.

All parts of the chard plant contain oxalic acid.

Nutritional Content

Swiss Chard is high in vitamins A, K and C with one cup containing 214%,716%, and 53% of the recommended daily value. [3] It is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein. [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Characterization and biological activity of the main flavonoids from Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris subspecies cycla). Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology, 01-FEB-07
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Eat with the beet, Monty Don, 9 February 2003, The Guardian
  3. ↑ Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Chard
  4. ↑ Worlds Healthiest Foods