What's that stuff in my fresh spinach?

[dmjordan]

This question has been driving me crazy for years, but I never knew who to ask. But now I ask you, fellow chowhounders. What is that green in my fresh spinach? It's shaped like a blade, like grass but with a rounded tip and it is thicker than grass. I always find it when I'm cleaning my spinach. Any ideas?

[Kajikit]

I always thought it was some kind of contamination so I fished it out when I washed the spinach... it almost looks like some kind of grass and I wasn't sure it was safe to eat! I didn't know it was just baby leaves...

[Anne]

It's spinach. These are the first "leaves" (actually called the cotyledon) that emerge from a spinach plant. It's baby spinach in the truest sense!

[cycloneillini]

This is exactly what I love so much about CH, Anne. I always just assumed it was "baby spinach", but the full explanation is great!

[dmjordan]

Aha! Thanks Anne. I would have never guessed that since the blades are so thick. But I checked out Google images and that's it. Another of life's mysteries solved.