Chard
545520
224013756
2008-07-06T22:58:17Z
Candle-ends
1058940
Remove statement that chard won't grow in "ordinary garden soil"
{{otheruses}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Chard
| image = Swiss Chard.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Chard
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| subregnum = [[Tracheobionta]]
| superdivisio = [[Spermatophyta]]
| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| subclassis = [[Caryophyllidae]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Amaranthaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Beta (plant)|Beta]]''
| species = ''[[Beta vulgaris|B. vulgaris]]''
| subspecies = '''''B. v.'' var. ''cicla'''''
| trinomial = ''Beta vulgaris'' var. ''cicla''
| trinomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]) [[K.Koch]]
}}
[[Image:Red chard.jpg|240px|thumb|right|Red chard]]
[[Image:Gelber und roter Mangold.JPG|thumb|260px|]]
'''Chard''' (''Beta vulgaris'' var. ''cicla''), also known as '''Swiss Chard''', '''Silverbeet''', '''Perpetual Spinach''', and '''Mangold''', is a [[vegetable]] and a ''[[Beta vulgaris]]'' subsp. ''maritima''. While the leaves are eaten, it is in the same species as the garden [[beet]] (beetroot), which is grown primarily for its edible roots.
The word ''Swiss'' was used to distinguish chard from French [[spinach]] varieties by nineteenth century seed catalog publishers. The chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks. The first varieties have been traced back to [[Sicily]].
Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender or after maturity when they are larger and have slightly tougher stems. Chard is extremely perishable.
Chard has shiny green ribbed leaves, with stems that range from white to yellow and red depending on the cultivar. It has a slightly bitter taste. Fresh young chard can be used raw in [[salad]]s. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sauteed; the bitter flavor fades with cooking.
[[Cultivar]]s of chard include green forms, such as 'Lucullus' and 'Fordhook Giant', as well as red-ribbed forms such as 'Ruby Chard', 'Rainbow Chard', and 'Rhubarb Chard'.
Chard and the other beets are [[Chenopodioideae | chenopods]], a group which is either its own family [[Chenopodiaceae]] or a subfamily within the [[Amaranthaceae]].
== External links ==
* [http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/chard.htm More about Swiss Chard from Gardeners Net]
* [http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/ingredients/swiss-chard.php#recipes Swiss Chard Recipes from Veg Box Recipes]
* [http://www.soscuisine.com/recipe_local_product_search_results.php?query=%28_QU5E__1___________86_%5B%5D%29&sos_l=en Swiss Chard Recipes from SOS CUISINE]
{{wiktionarypar|chard}}
{{commons|Beta vulgaris}}
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Amaranthaceae]]
[[bs:Blitva]]
[[co:Geia]]
[[de:Mangold]]
[[el:Σέσκουλο]]
[[es:Beta vulgaris var. cicla]]
[[fr:Poirée]]
[[gl:Acelga]]
[[hr:Blitva]]
[[hu:Mángold]]
[[nl:Snijbiet]]
[[ja:フダンソウ]]
[[no:Bladbete]]
[[ru:Мангольд]]
[[simple:Chard]]
[[sv:Mangold]]
[[tr:Pazı]]