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Chard
Chard is most commonly recognized by gardeners and commercial growers as a tall stalky green known as Swiss Chard. Chard is actually a variety of beet, but the leafy greens don’t really resemble their tubular cousins. The Japanese chard, called “fudanso” in Japan, is also known as leaf beet, spinach beet, leaf chard, or perpetual spinach. This shorter stalked variety has glossy deep green leaves that are slightly waved with small mid ribs. This chard is tastiest when harvested young and the leaves are tender and mild flavored. Fudanso is an excellent choice for baby greens in salads and stir-fry. In Japan, the vegetable is most commonly parboiled and then soaked in water to remove some of the acrid taste. Fudanso does well in cool season planting, but can also withstand heat, making this hearty green a good choice for growing from spring to winter.
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