Japanese-Style New Zealand Spinach
Vietnamese-Style New Zealand Spinach
Tetragonia tetragonoides, commonly called New Zealand spinach, is native to eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It spreads and self-seeds readily, earning the plant a designation as an invasive species in various parts of the world. At least it is an edible invasive, with fleshly stems and leaves that have much the same culinary uses and properties as spinach. Other names for the leafy green include Botany Bay spinach and Cook’s cabbage, so-called because on his 1769 stop in New Zealand on his voyage around the world, Captain Cook mentioned it as a crop that his crew foraged, cooked and pickled to help them fend off scurvy on their three-year voyage.
New Zealand spinach, like spinach, kale and most leafy greens, is high in oxalates, an acid that, consumed to excess, can interfere with the body’s absorption of calcium and increase the risk of kidney stones. Some of the oxalates can be removed if the greens are quickly blanched in boiling water before they are used. The two recipes below, which both call for blanching the greens, are adaptations of recipes the typically would call for conventional spinach in the case of the Japanese recipe, and in the Vietnamese recipe, a green called rau muong, also known as water spinach.
Japanese-Style New Zealand Spinach [top]
2 ½ tablespoons tahini
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 tsp mirin (or 1 tsp sugar)
1 large bunch New Zealand spinach
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish
1. Whisk together the tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, water and mirin in a large bowl.
2. Cook New Zealand spinach in large pot of boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Press or squeeze to remove excess water and cut into 3-inch lengths. Add greens to the dressing and toss to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
Vietnamese-Style New Zealand Spinach [top]
1 bunch New Zealand spinach, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp chicken stock or water
1 tsp sugar
1. Blanch the New Zealand spinach in boiling salted water for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Combine the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl. Heat oil in a wok on high until it starts to smoke. Add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant. Then add the blanched spinach, stir in the sauce and stir fry for another minute or two.
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