• Spinach is far fancy than you might imagine upon first glance : in some cultures , greens like spinach and kale symbolize money . Beyond that , the “ Florentine ” cognomen give to some Gallic dishes is in honor of Catherine de’Medici , who is said to have eaten prickly-seeded spinach at every meal .
• Sometimes Spinacia oleracea is just cheap and easy though , which is why researchers at MIT chose it to use in an experiment to convert the power of photosynthesis intocharging up cell phonesand laptops .
• What get “ furry teeth ” from eat up spinach ? The food ’s sandy beginnings could be part to blame , but more likely it ’s because it contains mellow levels of oxalic dot crystals , which coat tooth and leave a calcareous feeling . I ’m just happy to know I ’m not crazy after having experienced this for year not knowing it was a coarse thing !
• If you ’re on the fence about wintertime as a season , deal that many veg savour better when harvested in the wintertime . Why ? In the cold-blooded some plants , such as spinach plant , break down their energy storage into “ free ” shekels , such as glucose and fructose , which keep the industrial plant from freeze and make it even tastier once it hits your plate .
• No article on spinach is concluded without quotation of its greatest champion – Popeye ! Popeye ’s spinach craving began in the Thimble Theater cartoon strip , and went on to become an indispensable secret plan equipment . Popeye was the first cartoon character erect into a statue – an award contribute upon him by spinach plant cultivator who accredit Popeye with a 33 % addition in U.S. expenditure , hold start the industriousness in the thirties .
• Though astray denary pointmay have lead Popeye to believe he was getting more atomic number 26 than he really was ( though can you suppose if he had banquet on ballock , pork barrel or brown sugar instead ? ) , spinach may helpprevent cataractsandmacular retrogression .
• Spinach did bring strength to Birdseye foods - it was one of the first flash-frozen veg to be sold , after which Clarence Birdseye was able-bodied to open up the future of frigid food industry .
• Spinach can be a pain in the neck , at least to dishwasher makers – it ’s used as one of the trial run food residues in standardised tests for dishwasher carrying into action . Residue ( from cooked or tinned spinach ) and its tiny unripe flake are inconceivable to miss on a bright white plate , and also notoriously heavy to get off .
• Still not enough spinach ? Then take time to visit the Crystal City Spinach Festival , home of the self - proclaimedSpinach Capitol of the World !
‘ Dietribes ’ appears every other Wednesday . Food photos take byJohanna Beyenbach . You might remember that name from our post about hercolorful diet .
