Lamb's quarters

Chenopodium album

leaf

Mealy leaves, cousins of quinoa, cooked as saag, in raita or in winter parathas in India.

Origin

Eurasia, cooked in northern India

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

Cooked rather than raw, and not every day: like spinach, it is rich in oxalates. Its oxalates leach into water: boiling it and throwing the water out takes a good share with it.

Molecules

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitrates · ChlorophyllWhat slows things down Oxalates

Did you know?

Lamb's quarters seeds were found in the stomach of the Tollund Man, who died 2,400 years ago.