Products - Chinese Spinach (Amaranthus gangeticus)

Chinese spinach (Amaranthus gangeticus) is a member of the Amaranthaceae family, and is one of a number of cultivated species. The Amaranth family is a very large group of plants, and includes a number of important herbs of the tropics. The Amaranth family originated in the American, African and Asian tropics, but are now grown all over the world.

Also see our product section on Lin Choi (Amaranthus tricolor).

A mature Chinese Spinach's average height is about 35 cm, but some can grow up to 150 cm high when flowering.

The Chinese Spinach leaves are soft-textured, and will go limp quickly after being picked. The leaf shape can be pointed or round, and vary in colour from light to dark green, with a reddish centre or red markings. The size of the leaves also vary in size, the largest being fairly broad and up to about 15 cm long. Ahtough in some varieties, the leaves are much smaller. The larger leafed variety seem to be more vigorous than those with small leaves. The stems are soft and juicy, and are very often blotched with red.

The small seeds produced numerously by the Chinese spinach are edible. The small flowers (either crimson or greenish colour) are borne on erect terminal clusters and can grow up to 20 cm long, appear in late summer and are not edible.

The Chinese spinach can be grown in both tropical and temperate zones. Conditions that are humid, sunny are advantageous but not essential for growth. The amaranth variety will not tolerate frost or freezing temperatures. However, some varieties that are grown under cover or outdoors in a warm climate are liable to self-seed, and can easily become weeds.

The best soil for Chinese spinach is light, sandy and fertile. Although, as long as they are well drained, the crop can be grown on a wide range of soils. For good germination the soil temperature requirement is 10C. First sowings can occur very early in spring if in heated greenhouses. The seeds can be sown outdoors after all risk of frost is over.

Chinese Spinach is best germinated in the dark, so a cover is used over the beds. The seeds are usually sown between 15 mm to 25 mm deep in rows. The first seedlings appear 2-3 weeks after seeds are sown, and can be transplanted out when about 2 cm high and showing 2-3 true leaves. The final plant spacing should be 8 x 8 cm.

The Amaranthus variety seems to grow best in light and loose soil so regular hoeing is advisable to prevent the soil from becoming too compacted.

Generally the Chinese spinach takes 6-8 weeks from sowing to reach the cropping stage. The crop can be harvested in different ways. 1) When quite young the tips of larger plants can be picked. 2) When approximately 25 cm tall, the whole plant may be pulled from the ground with the roots. 3) As Chinese spinach can regrow rapidly, cut the mature plants back to 3 cm above ground level, leaving some of the stem and a few basal leaves to promote regrowth.

The growth obviously depends on temperature, and harvesting can continue over several months for the smaller-leaved varieties. Any flowers must be removed. Up to 10 harvests are possible from the same area each year in the tropical environments. Total yield may rise to 40-80 t/ha if the crop is harvested by repeated cuttings or thinning.

As Chinese spinach can be sold as whole plants, it keeps better than most other leafy vegetables. It can be refrigerated for up to a week before use if the plants are wrapped in a damp towel, encased in a plastic bag.

Amaranthus, Edible amaranth, Edible amaranth spinach, Bayam (Malaysia and Indonesia), Calaloo (Caribbean) and Klaroen (Surinam). It is also named Xian cai in Mandarin, Yin choi/In tsoi in Cantonese and Hi-yu-na in Japanese.

The very young leaves can be used raw in salads. Chinese spinach tastes somewhat like artichoke, but can develop a 'hot' taste in older plants. The Chinese Spinach cooks faster than normal spinach, so more care should be taken not to overcook it. It is probably best treated simply: steamed, stir-fried, and mixed in with meat or fish dishes. In Asia and the West Indies, the Chinese spinach is widely used in soup, however, in Jamaica, it is routinely eaten at breakfast and dinner.

UK: Mid July - November

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The Chinese Spinach leaves are very nutritious; rich in protein, magnesium, iron, calcium and vitamins A and C.