Lambsquarters

Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), also known as fat hen, is a common wild plant found across temperate regions worldwide, including Australia. Its young leaves and growing tips are tender and mild-flavoured, with a taste somewhere between spinach and silverbeet, and can be used in much the same way — sautéed, steamed, added to soups, or eaten raw in salads when very young.

The plant has been gathered as a food source for thousands of years and was a significant green vegetable in many cultures before the widespread cultivation of spinach. It grows readily in disturbed soils, gardens, and farm margins, and is considered a weed in most agricultural contexts.

While not commonly sold commercially in Australia, lambsquarters is familiar to foragers and kitchen gardeners. It is nutritious, productive, and easy to identify, making it one of the more accessible wild greens.