Updated 11/28/24: Florida, USA 9B/10A

This is a documentary of my experience growing the different varieties of spinach and my taste review so I can keep track what I like and what I would never waste my time planting again. 😂

Post Outline:

• Green and Red Stem Malabar Spinach – Neutral
• Oriental Spinach – Love
• Egyptian Spinach Molokhia – Dislike
• Vietnamese Red Stem Molokhia – Like
• New Zealand Spinach – TBD
• Strawberry Spinach – TBD
• Okinawa Spinach – Dislike
• Longevity Spinach – Dislike (hate)
• Giant Winter Spinach – love
• Seaside F1 Spinach – TBD
• Imperial F1 Spinach – TBD
• Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach – TBD

Green or Red Stem Malabar Spinach: This is a common spinach sold at the Asian markets. I grow this to cook luffa with spinach malabar soup. Seeds purchased from Pan Asia Heirloom on Etsy. There’s a green stem and red stem variety. They both taste similar to me.

Oriental Spinach: Spring 2023 was my first time growing and eating this spinach variety. It has a similar taste to regular baby spinach. I really like the buttery taste and texture of Oriental Spinach and will definitely add it to my edible garden collection. I purchased the seeds from Pan Asia Heirloom on Etsy. The seeds have high germination rate and sprouted quickly.

Egyptian Spinach Molokhia: This is the first and last time in my life growing Eqyptian Spinach Molokhia. I was curious. The seeds have high and quick germination rate. I was not thrilled with the bland dull paper-like taste when I finally could taste it.

Okinawa Spinach: Okinawa spinach has a plain dull taste. It propagates well from cuttings. This is another spinach I do not like to eat.

Longevity Spinach: I had once tried to grow this from cuttings. The cuttings rooted easily. I just stick it in the ground and it just starts rooting within a week without rooting harmone. Some kind of bugs kept munching on the leaves. I do not like the taste and texture of longevity spinach, and particularly the flavor of this spinach so out it goes.