How good a substitute is callaloo for spinach?
I have seen some good recipes using spinach and have heard over and over that callaloo (amaranth) can be used in place of it.
There is confusion about callaloo the plant and callaloo the dish I am refering to the plant amaranth.
I have never tasted spinach and I can not get it to buy where I am from, callaloo is easy to come by, I am hoping that someone here who have tasted both can tell me if this is true that callaloo can be used as a substitute for spinach. If i can get an answer here it would be a bit better than experimenting.
I have seen some substitutes for spinach on the Internet but unfortunately all fall in the hard to get category for me.
Best Answer
I've only had red amaranth, so apologies if that is distinct from the type you have access to. As I recall, spinach is a bit sweeter and the leaves are a bit softer so they break down more readily. Also I believe the stem on spinach is less fibrous.
That said, they are both leafy greens and I've yet to find a recipe so touchy that one leafy green can't be substituted for another.
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Can I use callaloo instead of spinach?
Callaloo is a famed soup of the Caribbean that is made with greens from aroid plants indigenous to that of the world. Since callaloo greens are difficult to find outside of the Islands, a good substitute is Swiss chard, kale, or spinach, or, as in this recipe, a combination of all three.What is a good spinach substitute?
9 Scrumptious Spinach Substitutes- Arugula. Arugula, also known as rocket, can be spicy or mild, depending on the variety you use. ...
- Butterhead lettuce. If you were planning to use spinach in a fresh salad, you might want to try certain types of lettuce instead. ...
- Watercress. ...
- Kale. ...
- Swiss chard. ...
- Beet greens. ...
- Bok choy. ...
- Mustard greens.
What is equivalent to callaloo?
If you can't find callaloo, Swiss chard or mustard greens make an excellent substitute.Guyanese Callaloo Cook-up| How to make Spinach Rice
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Answer 2
I've had callaloo substituted in recipes, for instance spinach quiche is normal but I've had callaloo quiche which tasted quite good. I'd imagine you might need to deal with the seasoning and cooking a little bit differently. Spinach wilts very quickly when you cook it, but callaloo is normally sauteed, so there are definitely some differences. As others have said, the leaves are not as soft as spinach. You'll have to do a little experimentation.
Side note: Are you Caribbean? I've never heard of Callaloo from a non Jamaican.
Answer 3
I am a Jamaican living abroad, and it is not easy to get the Callaloo, so yes I use Spinach as a substitute. The difference is, you really have to cook the Callaloo, were as you can eat the spinach raw, but both can be cooked in the same recipes.
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