fat hen
Exceptionally high in protein, calcium, and iron compared to most leafy greens; also a source of vitamins A and C. Contains oxalic acid, which diminishes with cooking and should be considered by those with certain health conditions.
About
Fat hen (Chenopodium album), also known as lamb's quarters, pigweed, or white goosefoot, is a leafy green herbaceous plant belonging to the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). Native to Central Asia but now found throughout temperate regions worldwide, this plant has been consumed as food for millennia and was historically a staple in European and Asian diets before modern agriculture displaced it. The plant bears triangular to lance-shaped leaves with a distinctive whitish or grayish waxy coating (giving the "white" in common names), and produces dense clusters of small greenish flowers followed by thousands of tiny seeds. Fat hen leaves offer a mild, slightly earthy flavor with a hint of spinach-like character, while the seeds are nutty and more assertive in taste.
The nutritional density of fat hen exceeded that of cultivated spinach in traditional knowledge, and the entire plant—leaves, stems, and seeds—is edible. Various subspecies and cultivars exist, with some showing more robust growth and larger leaf size than wild populations.
Culinary Uses
Fat hen leaves function as a potherb in the manner of spinach or chard, suitable for sautéing, steaming, or incorporation into soups, stews, and grain dishes. The mild flavor makes it adaptable to both Mediterranean and Asian preparations. Historically significant in Northern European and Russian cuisine, fat hen remains popular in Scandinavian and Eastern European foraging traditions. The seeds, once winnowed and ground, can be used as a flour additive or cooked as a grain; some culinary traditions toast the seeds as a condiment. Young tender shoots and leaves are best for salads, while more mature plants are improved by cooking to reduce any bitterness and oxalic acid content.