NZ Native Spinach/Kōkihi

New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides), sometimes called warrigal greens, is a sprawling type of spinach, known as Kōkihi by tangata whenua. 

Captain Cook learnt of it's value and his crew ate it as a sauerkraut and cooked, to prevent scurvy in the 1700s.

There are two types of NZ Spinach - one inland and one seaside. They have some slight differences but both can be used in the same way.

Kōkihi loves the summer heat and is very hardy, making it useful in place of other spinach, which goes to seed very quickly in the heat. Mulch around the plant well during summer to avoid bitterness if too hot and dry though.

It self-seeds well throughout the year here in Northland, so we are very lucky to have abundant, vibrant, fresh spinach year-round.

It's a nutritional powerhouse, rich in vitamins A, C, E, K, plus iron, manganese, and calcium.

We love to add them to pizzas, salads, soups, hangi, quiches and omelettes, pasta sauce etc.

Pick the tender leaves around the top of each branch, which also encourages new growth.

The leaves do contain oxylates however, so cook the leaves to reduce that, or eat in moderation.