Spinach originated in Central Asia and came to Europe through the Arabs who started planting it in Spain in the Middle Ages. From there the vegetable spread to other European cuisines and the Spaniards brought it to the Americas (where it found its way into cartoons of sailors).

It is a rich source of vitamins A and C. Spinach also contains a lot of iron but the oxalic acid in the leaves (the slight bitterness that you can taste) inhibits the body's absorption of that iron."