Calories
21
Clarion
Clarion, also known as amaranth or Chinese spinach, is a leafy green vegetable with oval-shaped, green leaves. The young leaves have a nutty and mild flavour and – together with the small, more tender stems – are good for use raw in salads. The larger, mature leaves are best for stewing or braising, similar to chard or beet greens. Amar Import grows two types of clarion: larger, coarser green leaves and smaller, finer leaves with red veins.
This vegetable has different names and uses in various cultures. For example:
- China: yin-tsai – stir fry dishes and soups.
- India: chaulai – curries, stews and mixed vegetable dishes.
- Greece: vleeta – boiled with other leafy greens and served with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Did you know…
The clarion plant grows to an average height of 2 to 3 metres. The world’s tallest clarion plant is on record in the Guinness Book of World Records at 8.48 metres tall! In our greenhouse, we harvest the clarion when the plant has reached about 30 centimetres.
Its Latin name is Amaranthus australis
Want to know more about our clarion or want to place an order?
Clarion
nutrition facts
Per 100 grams
Fresh clarion leaf is packed with antioxidants, low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol. It is a rich source of protein, vitamin A and vitamin C, and also contains riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese.
Fats
0.1g
Protein
2.1g
Carbohydrates
4g
Cooking with clarion
The fresh tender leaves can be added to other greens in salads and soups or briefly sautéed with oil. To prepare clarion for cooking, wash the leaves in cold water and pat gently to dry. Separate the leaves and thick stems for cooking at different stages (the stems will take longer to cook). Similar to spinach, this Chinese spinach contains high amounts of oxalic acid and, once cooked, should not be reheated. Clarion will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Foods that pair well with clarion leaf: bacon, ham, poultry, anchovies, sesame seeds, soy sauce, lemon, mushroom, sweet potato, oregano, dill, cumin, turmeric, tempeh, goat cheese, parmesan, ricotta, mustard, walnuts and curries.
Recipes with clarion
Korean spicy amaranth salad
Cooking time: 15 mins
Difficulty level: easy
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
250g amaranth leaves
1 ½ tbsp Korean chili paste (or 1 tbsp light soy sauce if you prefer less spicy)
¼ tsp salt
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tbsp roasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Cut the amaranth greens, leaving about 2 centimetres of stem. Wash in cold water and pat with a towel to dry.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Once the water begins to boil, add salt and cook the amaranth leaves for 1 to 2 minutes.
- When the leaves are tender, but still crisp, drain the water immediately and submerge the leaves in a large container of cold water. Carefully press the water out of the greens and put in a salad bowl.
- Add the other ingredients to the salad bowl and gently mix by hand.
Chinese water spinach Thai curry
Cooking time: 30 mins
Difficulty level: easy
Servings: 3
Ingredients:
200 g Chinese water spinach (in 2 cm long strips)
250 ml coconut milk
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
4 tbsp fish sauce
½ lime
150 g pork (cubes)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red curry paste
700 ml water
Instructions:
- In a medium sauce pan, mix the curry paste and half of the coconut milk over medium heat. Stir to prevent from burning until red oil bubbles appear.
- Add the pork and Chinese water spinach and stir well until coated with the mixture. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and water and bring to a simmer. Then add the sugar and fish sauce and turn to low heat.
- Cut the lime half in slices and squeeze into the mix. Break the kaffir lime leaves and stir into the curry.
- Simmer for 30 mins. Serve hot with rice. If you have any leftovers, the flavours are even better the next day.
