What are warrigal greens?

Botanical name: Tetragonia tetragonioides

Aliases: New Zealand spinach or Botany Bay greens

One of the first native plants eaten by Captain Cook's crew to ward off scurvy, warrigal greens can be found along Australia's coastline where it grows best in saline soil. An incredibly versatile, easy-to-grow vegetable, warrigal greens have a fresh, grassy flavour with a slightly bitter finish.

Larger leaves should typically be blanched or steamed before eating, but smaller young leaves are great eaten raw. It can be substituted in any recipe that uses spinach, chard or Asian greens – the sturdy, fleshy leaves handle heat well, making warrigal greens ideal for stir-fries.

Chef Jock Zonfrillo uses the leafy vegetable at on his Bistro Blackwood menu. "It's great cooked or used raw in pesto or salads," he recommends. Or, try his recipe for XO squid and warrigal greens below.

It's easy to grow at home, or it can be foraged from coastal areas, where permitted. Find warrigal greens at farmer's markets, specialist greengrocers, or locate your nearest retail stockist online at outbackpridefresh.com.au.