Spinach (Spinacea oleracea) is a flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae. Originally native to central and west Asia, it is now cultivated as a food crop around the world. Its leaves are rich in oxalate, which can be reduced by steaming; however the leaves are edible raw or may be prepared in a variety of ways. Spinach is widely cultivated due to its high vitamin and mineral content; as of 2021, the world’s agricultural sector produced a collective 32,000,000 tons of spinach, around 92% of which was grown in China.
