Der Rote Blatt-Mangold: Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Flavescens-Gruppe

Chard is a cultural form of beet. However, it is not the roots that are eaten, but only the slightly salty tasting leaves and stems. These can be eaten raw as salad or cooked, e.g. as spinach or sautéed. Since chard – like many other food plants from the amaranth family – contains a lot of oxalic acid, people with kidney disease must be a little restrained when eating chard.

Chard comes in a variety of stem colours, ranging from golden yellow to orange, blue red and pink. The lower 3 pictures show leaves of a red mangold in different growth stages, whereby it can be seen that the red colour in the leaf itself is gradually covered by the leaf green.