Amaranthaceae
From beets to spinach to chard and an array of quelites, this family is full of rich and nutritious greens and roots. Yet Even more rich are the grains of the family, including amaranth, quinoa, huauzontle, and more!
meet the family
Amaranthaceae, the Goosefoot Family
Amaranthaceae (am-uh-ranth-ay-see-ay) is home to a handful of incredibly rich and nutritious greens, grains, and roots, each with their own histories intertwined with our own. Regardless of the crop type, many family members resemble each other with goosefoot-shaped leaves. Some common greens include spinach and chard, with beet greens being a super tender combination of their spinach and chard cousins. And then there are many other edible greens and quelites that grow wild throughout the Americas and are very nutrient dense, including quintoniles, quelite cenizo, Chinese spinach, and many other edible amaranth greens.
Family Index
Beets
“THE BEET IS THE MOST INTENSE OF VEGETABLES. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious… The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one most willing to suffer. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip…”
—Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume
Greens
The greens in the Amaranth family are some of the richest and highly nutritious greens in the world. While you may have heard that Popeye would eat Spinach for strength, people have been eating wild amaranth greens, quelites, and callaloo for hundreds of years.
FLORETS & Seeds
While technically classified as pseudograins, amaranth and quinoa are prized protein-rich seeds that have been beloved throughout South America for centuries. Huauzontles are closely related seed heads that when young and tender and enjoyed as you would broccoli. Strawberry Beetberry Spinach is another incredible plant entirely, with juicy, almost nutty fruits that have a pleasant crunch from the seeds.
family recipes
Family Photos
