Spinach (Mature)

Spinach is one of the most versatile leafy greens in the kitchen. Baby spinach leaves are tender enough to eat raw in salads, sandwiches, and smoothies, while mature spinach has sturdier leaves that hold up well to cooking — wilted in a pan, stirred into soups, layered into lasagne, or blended into dips like spanakopita filling.

It cooks down dramatically — a large bag of fresh spinach reduces to a small handful once wilted, which is worth knowing when planning quantities. The flavour is mild and slightly earthy when raw, becoming more concentrated and sweeter when cooked briefly. Overcooking turns it army-green and mushy.

Spinach is available year-round in Australian supermarkets, sold as baby spinach in bags or punnets, and as mature bunched spinach. English spinach (the most common variety in Australia) has smooth, flat leaves and tender stems. It’s distinct from silverbeet, which is thicker-stemmed and more robust — the two are not interchangeable in recipes despite sometimes being confused.