| Chard | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Red-stemmed chard | |
| Species | Beta vulgaris |
| Subspecies | Beta vulgaris subsp.vulgaris |
| Cultivar group | Cicla Group, Flavescens Group |
| Origin | Sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp.maritima) |
| Cultivar group members | Many; see text. |
Chard (/tʃɑːrd/ ⓘ;Beta vulgaris subsp.vulgaris, Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a greenleafyvegetable. In thecultivars of the Flavescens Group, orSwiss chard, theleaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from theleaf blade;[1] the Cicla Group is the leafierspinach beet. The leaf blade can be green or reddish; the leaf stalks are usually white, yellow or red.[2]
Chard, like other green leafy vegetables, has highlynutritious leaves. Chard has been used in cooking for centuries, but because it is the same species asbeetroot, thecommon names that cooks and cultures have used for chard may be confusing;[3] it has many othercommon names such assilver beet,perpetual spinach,beet spinach,seakale beet, orleaf beet.[4][5]
Chard was first described in 1753 byCarl Linnaeus asBeta vulgaris var.cicla.[6] Its taxonomic rank has changed many times: it has been treated as asubspecies, a convariety, and avariety ofBeta vulgaris. (Among the numeroussynonyms for it areBeta vulgaris subsp.cicla(L.) W.D.J. Koch (Cicla Group),B. vulgaris subsp.cicla(L.) W.D.J. Koch var.ciclaL.,B. vulgaris var.cycla(L.) Ulrich,B. vulgaris subsp.vulgaris (Leaf Beet Group),B. vulgaris subsp.vulgaris (Spinach Beet Group),B. vulgaris subsp.cicla (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Flavescens Group),B. vulgaris subsp.cicla(L.) W.D.J. Koch var.flavescens(Lam.) DC.,B. vulgarisL. subsp.vulgaris (Leaf Beet Group),B. vulgaris subsp.vulgaris (Swiss Chard Group)).[7] The accepted name for all beet cultivars, like chard,sugar beet andbeetroot, isBeta vulgaris subsp.vulgaris.[8][9] They are cultivated descendants of thesea beet,Beta vulgaris subsp.maritima. Chard belongs to thechenopods, which are now mostly included in the familyAmaranthaceae (sensu lato).
The two rankless cultivar groups for chard are the Cicla Group for the leafy spinach beet and the Flavescens Group for the stalky Swiss chard.[7]
The word "chard" descends from the 14th-centuryFrenchcarde, fromLatincarduus meaning artichoke thistle (orcardoon which also includes theartichoke) itself.[10]
The origin of the adjective "Swiss" is unclear. Some attribute the name to it having been first described by a Swiss botanist, eitherGaspard Bauhin[11] orKarl Koch[12] (although the latter was German, not Swiss). Be it as it may chard is used in Swiss cuisine, e.g. in the traditional dishcapuns from thecanton of Grisons.
Chard is a biennial. Clusters of chard seeds are usually sown, in the Northern Hemisphere, between June and October, the exact time depending on the desired harvesting period. Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender, or after maturity when they are larger and have slightly tougher stems. Harvesting is a continual process, as most species of chard produce three or more crops.[13]
Cultivars of chard include green forms, such as 'Lucullus' and 'Fordhook Giant,' as well as red-ribbed forms, such as 'Ruby Chard' and 'Rhubarb Chard.'[2] The red-ribbed forms are attractive in the garden, but as a general rule, the older green forms tend to outproduce the colorful hybrids.[citation needed] 'Rainbow Chard' is a mix of colored varieties often mistaken for a single variety.[2]
Chard has shiny, green, ribbed leaves, withpetioles that range in color from white to yellow to red, depending on the cultivar.[2]
Chard may be harvested in the garden all summer by cutting individual leaves as needed. In the Northern Hemisphere, chard is typically ready to harvest as early as April and lasts until there is a hard frost, typically below −4 °C (25 °F).[citation needed] It is one of the hardier leafy greens, with a harvest season that typically lasts longer than that ofkale, spinach, or baby greens.
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 84 kJ (20 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4.13 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sugars | 1.1 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary fiber | 2.1 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.08 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.88 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 92.65 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[14] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from theNational Academies.[15] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fresh chard can be used raw insalads,stirfries, soups oromelets.[16] The raw leaves can be used like atortilla wrap.[16] Chard leaves and stalks are typically boiled orsautéed; the bitterness fades with cooking.[16]
In theBabylonian Talmud, a foundational Jewish text from late antiquity, chard is praised for its health benefits. In tractateEruvin 29a, it is said that a cooked dish of chard "is good for the heart and good for the eyes, and all the more so for the intestines." In another passage,Berakhot 44b, it states: "Cabbage for food, mangold for medicine."[17]
Chard is one of the most common ingredients ofCroatian cuisine in theDalmatia region, being known as "queen of the Dalmatian garden" and used in various ways (boiled, in stews, inSoparnik etc.).[18]
In a 100-gram (3.5 oz) serving, raw Swiss chard provides 84 kilojoules (20 kcal) of food energy and has rich content (> 19% of theDaily Value, DV) of vitaminsA,K, andC, with 122%, 1038%, and 50%, respectively, of the DV.[19] Also having significant content in raw chard aredietary fiber and thedietary mineralsmagnesium,manganese,iron, andpotassium.[19] Raw chard has a low content ofcarbohydrates,protein, andfat.[19]
Cooked chard is 93% water, 4% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contains negligible fat. In a reference 100 g serving, cooked chard supplies 20calories, with vitamin and mineral contents reduced compared to raw chard, but still present in significant proportions of the DV, especially for vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and magnesium (see table).
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