Spinach was introduced to Europe around the year 1,000 from Asian regions, probably from Persia. In Spain they would have been introduced by the Arabs in the 11th century. But only from the 16th centuryII began to spread throughout Europe and crops were established for their exploitation, mainly in Holland, England and France.
Spinach is the common name of an annual plant of the Chenopodiaceae family that is cUltiva for its leaves, nutritious and tasty. Although there are also winter varieties, it is in two types: those with curly or Savoy leaves and those with smooth leaves.
Nutritional properties
This vegetable is known for its extraordinary nutritional properties. Almost 91% of spinach is water, which makes it an easy food to digest without providing excessive calories. In relation to your wealthvitamin, this vegetable has high amounts of provitamin A and vitamins C and E, all of them with antioxidant action. It is also a very good source of B vitamins such as folates, essential during pregnancy for good development.ollo of the fetus.
Spinach also provides potassium, sodium, magnesium and, above all, calcium. Thanks to cartoons, they are famous for their high iron content, but not as high as other plant-based foods, for example, chickpeas or lentils. In this sense, this aspect of spinach has been somewhat mythologized.
Thanks to their soluble and insoluble fiber content, they help prevent constipation and maintaingood intestinal transit.
Spinach contains zeaxanthin and lutein , chemical compounds that help protect the eyes from sunlight. In addition, these elements help to prevent cataratas and blindness.
To all of the above we would add that it is attributed anti-cancer and heart-healthy properties thanks to its content of carotenoids and flavonoids such as lutein , lzeaxanthin and neoxanthin .
In relation to this food, it must be taken into account that people with a tendency to the formation of kidney stones, gout, rheumatism, arthritis, etc. should moderate their consumption, due tooxalic acid content.
In the market
When we go to buy them, we must look at their bright and dark green color, and discard those with yellowish spots or pigmentation. The stems of spinach debto be quite fine. Thick and rough stems indicate overly large, tough, bitter-tasting leaves. Storing them is very easy : they can last up to 3 or 4 days in the lower part of the fridge covered with a damp cloth. To theBeing a vegetable that supports freezing well, this is another technique that we can use to keep them for a longer time, as long as we do a previous blanching.
In the kitchen
VersaUseful in the kitchen you can prepare endless recipes. Its intense flavor goes well with rice, cheese and fish, legumes, meats, and of course, raw in salads they are delicious.
A few or all of the lettuce leaves can be substituteda of a green salad for young spinach leaves to give it more color and flavor. Strawberries, tangerines, mangoes, strawberries, apples are some of the fruits that bring great flavor to spinach salads.
Take advantage of the fact that they are in yourseason and prepare endless dishes with the assurance that you are consuming a healthy, balanced product that also has a delicious flavor.
