Spinach: Matador

• Vegetable: Spinach
• Type: Matador
  
• Palate Profile: 
  • Tender
  • Sweet

Story: Smooth as Velvet

Matador may sound like a bold name, but this variety of spinach is all about smooth texture, tender leaves, and sweet, subtle flavor. It’s a quiet kind of power—one with roots that stretch all the way back to ancient Persia (or so the story goes).

From there, spinach traveled through India and China, arriving in the Mediterranean by the 10th century and in England by the 14th. By the time Catherine de Medici became Queen of France in the 1500s, she loved spinach so much she insisted it be served with every meal—hence the name “Florentine” for dishes featuring spinach, a nod to her Florentine roots.

Whether tossed fresh in salads or folded into risotto, Matador spinach is a kitchen staple that bridges old-world history with weeknight ease. Nutritious, delicious, and especially welcome in early spring when little else is ready to harvest—this green has always known how to show up when it counts.