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Red Spinach. I have saved my favorite for last.

Green Spinach I know you know. But its red veined cousin is an entirely different creature. It is sweet. Almost dessert sweet. It has a honey taste with nutty spinach undertones. It’s quite remarkable.

I’m not going to sit here and try and explain its flavor. It’s too hard for me. Honey and Nuts-- those are my best descriptors. Besides tasting should be a personal experience all your own. I encourage you to have that experience.

Until this week I had never knowingly tried Red Spinach. I have noticed it used in Indian Foods, I have seen it on the menus and may even have had some as an ingredient in a curry or something. I can’t say for sure because until I ate it raw I never really gave it much thought. If you do not know it by the name Red Spinach you may know it by it’s other common names: Malabar Spinach, Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Vine Spinach, and Malabar Nightshade (Malabar is a coastal region in southwestern India).

January is the height of the season in Southern California for the greens we all love.

Kale, Spinach, Rapini, Chard, Mustard, Pea Tendrils. You see them this time of year at the market. They are so beautiful, like masterful Baroque still-life paintings of the Dutch Golden Age.  The intensity of detail of these greens can almost be off putting. Intricate shapes, complex gradations of color; thick, lush and vibrant. Cooking with them just makes you feel like an artist.

But if you are able to look past all the variations of green greens, you might notice another type of green entirely. And that green is RED!

You may be familiar with Red Leaf Lettuce. It’s a pretty alternative to the Green Leaf Lettuce you find in your local supermarket. Aside from its striking red blush, it tastes fairly similar to its more common green brother. Though, I swear it gets all black and slimy much quicker than the green guy.

But unlike green/red leaf lettuce, there are greens at the Farmers Market now that not only differ in their stunning red chromatics…but you will find they have a whole other flavor palate to boot. Perhaps it’s the coloration. I have researched this and cannot find a definitive answer. But, especially among the so-called bitter greens, the red varieties are often milder; sometimes noticeably sweeter. And I mean sweet like honey.