‘Popeye’ is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Spinach’. Spinach has a major place in the popular culture thanks to the Popeye comics and cartoon but do you know the origin story of the food item?
It is thought to have originated in Ancient Persia around 2000 years back. The food item then found its way to China and India through Nepal in 647 AD and in 827 AD, it was introduced to Sicily as well. Despite this, the first documented evidence of spinach dates back to the 10th century.
By the 12th century, it became a popular vegetable in the Arab Mediterranean and had its impression in Spain as well. It was only in the 14th century that Spinach reached England and France where it found its name that we know today.
Fast forward to the present, the world production of spinach is around 26.3 million tonnes with China being the top producer with a contribution of more than 90% to this amount.
