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spinach


the plant Beta vulgaris cicla, having large, crisp, crinkly, strongly veined dark green leaves and a long fleshy stalk, used as a vegetable. Also called "silver beet". As opposed to "English spinach", the plant Spinacia oleracae with light green leaves, also used as a vegetable. Compare silver beet.
Contributor's comments: In NSW it's "spinach", in Victoria they call it "silver beet" - and vice versa for silver beet.

Contributor's comments: Over here in WA I grew up calling 'silverbeet' spinach. I thought they were the same thing until I was 14 and worked in a vegie market.

Contributor's comments: Sydney area until 1999 - "Spinach" is used as the vegetable eaten, but "Silver beet" for the plant put in the garden.

Contributor's comments: In Coffs Harbour and in Newcastle silver beet is labeled 'spinach' in the supermarkets. Spinach is often labeled 'English spinach'.

Contributor's comments: This is a geuine regionalism. In Queensland we differentiate between silver beet and (English) spinach. My NSW friends call silverbeet spinach and spinach, English spinach.

Contributor's comments: I grew up in the 50's & 60's on Sydney's North Shore. Spinach was used for silver beet. English spinach was not a readily available vegetable to buy in those days in Sydney.

Contributor's comments: This one really annoys me. Silverbeet and spinach are two completely different vegetables. They are not even from the same type of plant species. They look different, they taste different, they are different. I was given spinach pie once only to find out after first bite that it was silverbeet. YUK!! Wake us Aussies, next thing you know you'll be calling scallions, shallots.