Spinaci

The Arabs introduced this popular vegetable to Italy around the year AD 1,000 and it is now grown in Northern and Central Italy, where the climate is mild but not hot. Modern cultivation techniques mean that spinach is available all year round rather than just in the autumn and winter as in the past. It grows close to the ground and has substantial deep green leaves. Spinach contains large amounts of vitamins A and C, but is best-known for being rich in iron. It is used in a multitude of ways, including alla fiorentina, a dish of cooked spinach and a firm white sauce flavoured with Parmesan, and it is also good raw in salads as long as the leaves are young and tender. Spinach requires careful cleaning, especially if it has been grown organically. Unfortunately, however, repeated cleaning in cold water strips it of some of its most valuable nutrients.