Scientific Name: Spinacea Oleracea
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. Thought to have originated in ancient Persia (present-day Iran), spinach made its way to China in the 7th century. The Moors liked it so much they brought spinach to Spain. There, Catherine de Medici fell in love with the green, leafy vegetable. So much, in fact, that she took her own cooks and the beloved spinach from Florence, Italy, with her when she married the king of France. Since then, any dishes prepared with spinach are referred to as “a la Florentine.” For a while, spinach was known in England as the Spanish vegetable.
Today, curly leaf spinach is grown and enjoyed all over the world. And, many of the curly leaf/Savoy spinach growers in the United States come from generations of people who’ve perfected the growing of high-quality, great-tasting spinach.
The photo below is curly leaf, or Savoy, spinach has been enjoyed in the United States for decades and is grown in the East, Midwest, and near West.