Malabar or NZ spinach?

[littleminnie]

I am thinking if adding either Malabar or New Zealand 'spinach' this year. Malabar needs trellising I believe. Any comments on which one I should choose?

[atash]

Just so you know: neither one tastes like spinach.

Malabar "Spinach" is well-adapted to hot, humid climates. It grows fast. It has a slightly mucilaginous texture such as is typical of the family. Because of the mucilaginous texture, it does not work well as a substitute for spinach in some applications, unless you don't mind the texture. For instance, I personally would not put it on pizza (you know, like "pizza romana" with spinach, pine-nuts, and feta cheese). It is not worth my while here in the PNW, but I do have one of its relations that is adaptable here (Ulluco), that has a surprisingly similar flavor and texture despite coming from a different part of the world.

It can be red-stemmed or green-stemmed. I think the red is prettier. Overall it is a nice-looking plant.

Yes, it should be trellised.

New Zealand "Spinach" is a sprawling plant--no need to trellis and it would not climb it anyway. It is better adapted to a cooler, milder climate, however, it does not turn bitter when it blooms. It is a member of Aizooacea--the Ice Plant Family--one of the few that is not native to Africa. Like most of its kin it has fleshy leaves and can take more heat than its native climate dishes out. How much more, I don't know. It's typical of California where it naturalizes in some places.

The leaves taste and have a texture like typical ice plant leaves but are perhaps blander in taste. Personally I think it's better raw than cooked; makes a reasonable addition to a salad.

The NZ spinach will perform better later in the year, though it too will succumb to hard freezes. It's probably perennial by nature but not very hardy. The Malabar spinach requires hot weather and will die at the first frost and possibly even after so much as extended cool weather.

Hope that helps. Maybe someone else can chime in with details that elude me.

[raymondo]

I grow NZ spinach regularly (we call it warrigal greens). It's widespead here in the wild, from coastal sands to the heavy clay plains of the interior. Mine was originally sourced commercially but it self-seeds so now comes up unbidden each year and the seedlings are easy to transplant. It does best here in afternoon shade. In the wild it seems to like growing under shrubs/trees.

[canadamike]

I would try both and decide which suits me well. You know, a lot of it comes to personnal taste.

I am not much of a fan of greens, unless the dressing is good and there are plenty of onions in the salad. ;D

That said, I recognize their importance in a diet and admit to sometimes have HUGE cravings for them, I guess my body speaks to me...

They simply are not that filling and I love to be filled when I eat. So salads with proteines included are a winner in my world.

That said, a dressing with lots of french tarragon can change everything for me....but is it the greens I love or what comes with them???

Both have that ''green'' taste for sure, as for the rest it is really a matter of pure liking. Malabar is fun because it is a vine and a beautiful plant. NZ looks like a ''crop'' of greens. If I knew the chemical make up of both I sure would talk differently according to what is in them.

It all depends on you, but try both and decide.I will probably grow both this summer.

[littleminnie]

I know Malabar spinach has huge quantities of vitamin A. They made the red kind on Chopped the other day. I love that show! I have a few crops I consider questionable this season and I am trying to make final decisions before my seed orders go out which should be any day now. My CSA customers aren't a huge help because 1. none have officially signed up yet this season and 2. they often have never had the items before.
Some of my questionnable crops are:
malabar or NZ spinach
chard
arugula
black eye peas
snow peas
strictly ornamental gourds and squash
white cauliflower
broccoli raab
culantro (Viet coriander)
certain melons
tomatillos
ground cherries
edamame in that the seed is so expensive and harvest kind of meager. I think I am going to grow mostly for seed then have plenty for a couple years maybe?

Personally I don't like arugula at all. I hate the smell of it. I also do not like chard. I don't know about tomatillos but I like everything else (except cilantro- I hate it! But culantro is supposed to grow well in heat).

[Walk]

We've grown both crops but prefer the flavor of the NZ spinach. We like it raw in salads, but have also used it lightly cooked in place of spinach. NZ spinach is a perennial plant if given winter protection. I've wintered it over indoors and also in our greenhouse in an in-floor, insulated pit, where it's become a self-seeding welcomed weed, surviving temperatures in the 20's F. Not bad for Minnesota!

[12540dumont]

Minnie,
One of the few letters I received from my CSA members this year was in praise of tomatillos. She said that her neighbors come over and try to bum them from her. I find them highly prolific and they last through the season.

Over the years I stopped doing strictly ornamental gourds, and instead switched to mini edible pumpkins and squashes (dumping, baby boo, winter luxury, my newest is Dollop!) More folks seemed to like that you can eat and display them. I make an exception for the Serpente gourd, the Lagenaria. Since it doesn't cross with any of my squash, and it's edible when very young as a summer squash, and let go, it's a fun snake looking thing.

My CSA complains every year when the snow peas give out. They love them.

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[littleminnie]

Interesting. Well the gourds would be for fall markets and craft shows but decorative stuff is such a waste of space. Peas are a challenge for me due to striped gophers. I have better luck with tall ones. In the past snow peas always succumbed to the warm weather but I haven't tried in years. They were always so yellow and curly years ago.
I found I had a packet of NZ spinach so it wins LOL.

[steev]

I really don't like NZ spinach raw, but greatly enjoy it used to deglaze the pan after frying meat.

[12540dumont]

Here's something I trialed over the winter. This is a mild mustard called Vivid Choy from Wild Garden Seed. Taken a licken and looks good. No bugs, no gophers. Good fresh and sauteed.

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[garnetmoth]

Hi Littleminnie- send me your addy and I can send you a few red malabar spinach seeds- like 10 or so to trial!
I think Malabar red is gorgeous! Its nice in hanging basket, or does train up a trellis. To me, it has a stronger minerally taste, and isnt good in tomato sauce like regular spinach. I kept forgetting to try it as a curry- will do that this coming year.
NZ spinach, I think is a little more neutral. Grew fine in hot humid Cincinnati with part day sun. Also tolerates salt spray and we saw it on the shores in NZ! Steevs delgaze fried meat sounds great, we mock-creamed it by steaming quickly, and stirred in yogurt, lemon juice, and pepper.
Ive never seen either one in a CSA basket! or grown at a farm!

[steev]

Years ago, little bags of NZ spinach were available here in supermarkets. I think it was all marketed by a guy who foraged it along the coast and washed it in an old washing machine on rinse cycle. Really.