National Spinach Day

National Spinach Day celebrates the versatile and beloved—but sometimes overlooked or disparaged—leafy green vegetable, spinach. Spinach was likely first grown in Persia, where it was known as aspānāḵ. In Arabic it was known as isfanakh, meaning green hand. It made its way to India and from there to China through Nepal, being eaten there by the seventh century CE, where it was known as the "Persian vegetable." It arrived in Sicily during the ninth century and afterward became common in the Arab countries of the Mediterranean region. Spinach was in Spain in the twelfth century and came to England and France in the fourteenth century, where it gained acceptance because it was harvestable by early spring when other vegetables weren't.

While many derided it, even during earlier times, it did have its adherents, like Catherine de Medici of Florence—from which the term à la Florentine came—Louis XIV, and Thomas Jefferson. It became associated with Popeye: The sailor man popped open a can of it whenever he needed a bulging boost to his muscles. Besides being canned, spinach is available fresh and frozen. It can be eaten raw or cooked, often being steamed or sautéed.

Spinach is used in salads, soups, curries, and casseroles. There's spinach salad and salads with spinach, and spinach soup and soups with spinach. There's spinach dip, including spinach artichoke dip. Spinach is a favorite on pizza and in smoothies. It's used to make saag paneer, an Indian dish, spanakopita, a savory spinach pie from Greece, and pkhali, a Georgian dish served as a dip, spread, or in balls.

Spinach is extremely healthy, being packed with nutrients and antioxidants. It is a low-calorie food, being 90% water, but is high in insoluble fiber, which is beneficial for digestion. It's a source of vitamin C, vitamin K1, and carotenoids that the body turns into vitamin A, folic acid, iron, and calcium. It contains plant compounds that can positively affect health, such as lutein, nitrates, quercetin, kaempferol, and zeaxanthin. Spinach benefits eye health, prevents cancer, reduces blood pressure, and reduces oxidative stress. With so many health benefits and ways to eat it, there are numerous reasons to celebrate National Spinach Day!

How to Observe National Spinach Day

Celebrate by enjoying some spinach! Try your hand at making some of the following:

• spinach pizza
• green smoothie
• spinach dip
• spinach artichoke dip
• spinach salad
• spinach soup
• saag paneer
• spanakopita
• pkhali

You could also plant some spinach. Don't forget to share photos of your spinach creations online, along with how else you are celebrating, with the hashtag #NationalSpinachDay.

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