African spinach
alogbati See Malabar spinach.
amaranth (There is also a
grain called amaranth.)
|
|
beet greens Notes: Like
their close relative, Swiss chard, beet greens have lots of flavor and a
good, sturdy texture. The best ones are young and tender, and
sometimes come with small beets attached. Substitutes:
Swiss chard (a very close
substitute) OR turnip greens OR spinach (cooks more quickly) |
borecole Pronunciation: BORE-cole See
kale.
broccoli de rabe
broccoli de rape
 |
broccoli raab = broccolirab = broccoli de rape
= broccoli de rabe = brocoletti di rape = brocoletto = rappi = rape = raab =
rapini = cima di rapa = cima di rabe = choy sum = Chinese flowering cabbage
Notes: This slightly bitter cooking green has long
been popular in Italy and is now catching on in America. It's best
to just eat the florets and leaves; the stems are quite
bitter. Substitutes: Chinese broccoli
(similar, but not as bitter) OR dandelion greens OR
Swiss chard OR mustard greens OR turnip
greens OR kale OR broccoli (milder, takes longer to cook) OR cauliflower OR
watercress |
broccolirab
calalou
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|
callaloo = callilu = calalou = callau = taro leaf =
bhaji = elephant's ear = sag = sagaloo
Notes: These huge leaves are about a foot and a half long, and
they're a popular vegetable among Pacific islanders and some Asians. Many
Western cooks steer clear of them, though, since they must be cooked for at
least 45 minutes to an hour to rid them of calcium oxalate, a toxin that
irritates the throat if swallowed. Substitutes: Chinese spinach (very close substitute)
OR Swiss chard OR
sorrel OR spinach OR mustard
greens OR turnip greens (Discard the stems first. This may take longer to cook
than callaloo.) OR collard greens OR meloukhia |
callau
callilu
|
|
celtuce = asparagus lettuce = stem lettuce Notes:
This is a kind of lettuce that's grown for its stalk, which can be
peeled, sliced, and stir-fried. Look for it in Asian markets. Substitutes: celery |
Ceylon spinach See Malabar
spinach.
chard
chaya Substitutes: spinach
|
|
Chinese broccoli = Chinese kale = gai lan =
gai lum = kai lan Notes:
Like rapini, Chinese broccoli has small stems and green heads (which
actually are flowers) and lots of leaves. But Chinese broccoli is
leafier and less bitter than rapini. It's a great vegetable to
stir-fry, but you can also steam or boil it, as you would broccoli. Substitutes: rapini OR
broccoli OR bok choy |
Chinese flowering cabbage
Chinese kale
Chinese mustard cabbage
Chinese mustard greens
|
|
Chinese spinach = hiyu = hon-toi-moi = yin
choy = een choy = amaranth = hsien tsai Notes:
This is similar to spinach, only it's prettier, tastier, and more
nutritious. Look for it in Asian markets. Substitutes: spinach
(This isn't as delicate as Chinese spinach)
OR callaloo |
chop suey greens
choy sum
|
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|
chrysanthemum leaves = chop suey greens = tong
ho = tung ho = garland chrysanthemum = shungiku
Notes: This Asian potherb is used to flavor salads,
soups, sukiyaki and other dishes. The leaves are usually blanched
briefly to soften them and deepen their color, but young leaves can be
served raw. Add them to cooked dishes at the last minute, as they
become bitter if overcooked. Substitutes: spinach |
cima di rabe
cima di rapa
|
|
collard greens = collards Notes: This
is a favorite of Southern cooks, who often cook them with salt pork or
smoked ham hocks.
Frozen collards are an acceptable substitute
for fresh. Substitutes: kale (crinkled leaves) OR kohlrabi
leaves OR bok choy (milder flavor) OR turnip greens OR mustard greens
(spicier flavor)
|
cow cabbage See kale.
curled mustard
dock
een choy
|
|
gai choy = kai choy = Chinese mustard cabbage =
Chinese mustard greens = Indian mustard = leaf mustard Notes:
Asian cooks like to pickle this, or else use it in soups or
stir-fries. If you find gai choy too pungent to stir-fry, blanch it
first in salted water. Substitutes: mustard
greens (more pungent) OR broccoli raab |
gai lan
gai lum
garland chrysanthemum
hiyu
hon-toi-moi
|
|
jam leaf |
|
|
jute leaf = West Africa sorrel = krin-krin = saluyot =
rau day = Jew mallow Notes: These are tossed into stews in Africa,
the Philippines, and Southeast Asia. Substitutes: spinach |
kai choy
kail See kale.
|
|
kale = borecole = cow cabbage =
kail Pronunciation:
KAYL Notes: Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark
green, wrinkled leaves. It's prized more for its hardiness than its flavor
or delicacy, but it continues to be popular in the South, where it's often
cooked as a side dish. Remove and discard the tough center stalks before
cooking. Varieties include curly kale, dinosaur kale = black
cabbage = lacinato kale, and the popular Red Russian kale = ragged jack
kale. Substitutes: collard greens (smooth leaves)
OR rapini OR Swiss chard (This cooks more quickly than kale.) OR flowering
kale OR cabbage OR napa cabbage OR kohlrabi leaves OR mustard greens OR
spinach (in casseroles and souffles) |
kangkong
|
|
kohlrabi greens Notes: These can be cooked
just like Swiss chard. Remove the stems first if they're too
thick. Substitutes: Swiss chard OR collard greens OR kale
|
kontomire = African spinach Shopping
hints: This African green is very hard to find fresh in the United
States, and the canned version is terrible. Substitutes: Swiss
chard OR spinach
leaf beet
long green
|
|
Malabar spinach = Ceylon spinach = saan choy = slippery
vegetable = alogbati = mong toi = Vietnamese spinach Notes: This is cooked
much like spinach, but it's a bit slimy like okra. It occasionally
shows up in Asian markets. Substitutes:
spinach OR okra |
|
|
mustard greens = curled mustard
Notes: These are more popular in the South than in the
rest of the country. There are red and green varieties, and both
have a peppery bite. If the greens are too pungent for your taste,
you can tame them by blanching them in salted water. Substitutes: gai choy (less
pungent) OR escarole (less pungent) OR kale (less pungent) OR Swiss chard (less
pungent) OR spinach (less pungent; cooks more quickly) OR radish greens
|
|
|
nettles = nettle leaves Shopping hints:
Nettles have long been used in Europe as a substitute for spinach or kale,
but they're tricky to use. The tips contain formic acid, a nasty
irritant that can give you a serious rash on the outside and cause even
more damage on the inside. You can remove the formic acid by cooking
and/or soaking the nettles, but don't try this unless you know what you're
doing. If you're harvesting your own nettle leaves, select young ones.
Substitutes:
escarole OR beet greens OR spinach |
pumpkin leaves = pumpkin greens Substitutes: Swiss
chard OR turnip greens OR chicory OR spinach
|
|
purslane = verdolaga
Shopping hints: Hispanic cooks especially like
these crunchy, mild tasting greens. You can use them raw in salads,
or cook them as a side dish. Look for them in Hispanic markets.
Substitutes: watercress (milder flavor) OR spinach
(milder flavor) OR okra |
quail grass Substitutes: spinach
raab
|
|
radish greens Notes: These have a
peppery flavor, and they're great raw in salads and sandwiches, or you can cook
them as you would other leafy greens. The leaves are fairly pungent,
though, so a little goes a long way. The greens from young plants
are best. Substitutes: mustard greens
|
rape
rapini
rappi
rosella
saan choy See Malabar spinach.
seakale beet
silver beet
slippery
vegetable See Malabar spinach.
|
|
sorrel = rosella = sour grass = dock = sour dock Pronunciation:
SORE-uhl Notes: This sour herb is quite
popular in France. They like to cook it briefly and make a purée out of
it, which they ladle over eggs, fish, meat, and other dishes. It can also
be served raw in salads. Substitutes: spinach + lemon zest OR arugula |
sour grass
|
|
spinach Equivalents: One pound fresh = 1 cup
cooked = 5 ounces frozen Notes: Spinach is
packed with nutrients, and it's quite versatile. You can toss it raw
into salads, or cook it briefly to make a side dish or soup.
Of the two main varieties, smooth leaf spinach = flat leaf
spinach = salad spinach is more delicate and better suited to salads
than curly leaf spinach. Look for spinach with small, narrow
stems--they're younger and more tender. And always use fresh
spinach if you can; it's much more palatable
than frozen or canned spinach. Substitutes: Chinese spinach
(more delicate)
OR Swiss chard (more flavorful, but takes longer to cook) OR beet greens (more
flavorful, but takes longer to cook) OR
sorrel (color fades when cooked; consider adding parsley for color) OR
kale (especially in casseroles; takes longer to cook) OR turnip greens (discard
stems; takes longer to cook) OR escarole (especially with hot bacon dressings)
|
spinach beet
swamp spinach
|
|
Swiss chard = chard = spinach beet = leaf beet =
seakale beet = silver beet = white beet Notes: Swiss
chard is used much like spinach, except that it has an appealing
beet-like flavor and a heavier texture, which requires longer
cooking. Many cooks simply sauté it in olive oil and serve it as a
side dish. Red chard = rhubarb chard = ruby chard, with green
leaves and red stalks, is slightly more tender and flavorful than white
chard = green chard, with white stalks and green leaves, but the two are
interchangeable in most recipes. Substitutes: beet greens OR
spinach OR turnip greens OR bok choy OR escarole OR mustard greens |
tangkong
taro leaves
tong ho
|
|
turnip greens = turnip tops = turnip salad =
Hanover greens Notes:
A staple of Southern cuisine, turnips greens are traditionally served with
salt pork or ham hocks. The leaves are pungent and slightly bitter,
especially older ones, but they become milder when cooked.
Don't prepare them with aluminum cookware, as it will affect their flavor and
appearance. Substitutes: dandelion greens OR
mustard greens OR kale (takes longer to cook) OR collard greens (takes
longer to cook, consider blanching first to reduce
bitterness) OR Swiss chard (milder flavor) OR spinach
(milder flavor) |
turnip salad
turnip tops
ung choy
verdolaga See purslane.
|
|
water spinach = swamp spinach = ung choy =
long green = kangkong = tangkong Notes: This
cooking green is very common in the Philippines. Some varieties have
purple stems. Substitutes: spinach
OR watercress |
white beet
yin choy
Copyright © 1996-2005 Lori Alden
