Identifying Callaloo, Amaranth, and Spinach

[Pontormo]

There is a Swiss vegan organic farmer in nearby Maryland who enjoys growing greens that nobody else brings to market. This past weekend he was selling what he called Jamaican spinach.

I looked it up on the web and found out that it's in just about everything, favored for soups, that is, if what I have is indeed Calaloo.

The reason I am doubtful is that my leaves are smoother, shaped like inverted, wide teardrops and are brightly veined with a purplish red, most noticeable on the reverse side. Quite beautiful when newly picked which is why I bought them. Two days later after being subjected to extreme heat, they are limp and in dire need of cooking. I will probably just saute it as a side dish, but would be interested to learn if you've had anything memorable on the island that you'd like to mention.

[SuzySushi]

Several types of edible amaranth are used in Asian cooking. Sounds like the purple-veined variety might be one of those.

Edible Amaranth (with pictures).

[Pontormo]

You're right! I consulted Elizabeth Schneider's *Amaranth to Zucchini* last night and found the first entry useful. She says the type I have (size & color) is usually found in Chinese grocery stores. Since I've made falalfel, I'll use it in a Middle-Eastern side dish with feta.

[chefadamg]

Just a side note in case it is callaloo. Callaloo needs to be cooked for a LONG time. The plant has a fiberous density to it, that when undecooked, feels like pink insulation in the throat while eating...Just about inedible. My first cooking experience w/ a callaloo soup was a disaster.

[Pontormo]

It was calaloo, although from what I have read, there are LOTS of different kinds. My small leaves were rather thin and tender; they wilted quickly since I was out in intense sun for several hours before I took them home. Judging from online photographs, your initial experience was probably with a different variety and possibly grown under different conditions.

I boiled mine in chicken stock. Didn't keep track of time, but it could not have been much more than ten minutes when I strained the leaves, chopped them and mixed them as specfied above, drizzled with olive oil. Silky, tender, really, quite nice. I also used reserved stock successfully. I understand the iron content in the leaves is quite high, more than spinach for example, though I don't know how cooking affects their nutritional value. The name of the plant is more familiar to me as a grain. In fact, I have tiny little beads of amaranth in the cupboard, although I have not yet cooked it. It's supposed to be a good source for protein.

[Chris Amirault]

I just got a gift from a friend who gets organic Jamaican produce. (Some scotch bonnets in there, too.) She called it callaloo or "Jamaican spinach." However, in snooping around, I'm finding a lot of confusion about what is and is not callaloo. Here's wikipedia's take on the subject, but the photos there don't include anything that looks like what I've got:

To me, the shape of the leaves is reminiscent of water spinach, as is the taste.

Any thoughts?

[hummingbirdkiss]

that is water spinach ..what you have and it is also a calaloo...

what I have found over the years is the term Calaloo is kind of like the term "greens" there are a few water spinach or dashin that are called calaloo..there is also the dish calaloo that is made with dashin ...anyway I think your greens are calaloo Chris ..they are just not the same as dashin that is made into Calaloo

and it seems to me that anything called calaloo... they are all types of water spinach

I used to pick this!

I hopw this makes sense

Edited September 14, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)