Chard

Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, Cicla-Group and Flavescens-Group) is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. In the Flavescens-Group-cultivars, the leaf stalks are large and are often prepared separately from the leaf blade. The leaf blade can be green or reddish in color; the leaf stalks also vary in color, usually white, yellow, or red. Chard has highly nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets (like other green leafy vegetables). Chard has been around for centuries, but because of its similarity to other beets and some other vegetables such as cardoon, the common names used by cooks over the centuries can be quite confusing.

Classification

Chard was first described in 1753 by Carl von Linné as Beta vulgaris var. cicla. Its taxonomic rank has changed many times, so it was treated as a subspecies, convariety or variety of Beta vulgaris. The accepted name is Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. There are two rankless cultivar groups within this subspecies: the Cicla-Group for the leafy spinach beet, and the Flavescens-Group for the stalky Swiss chard.

Chard (disambiguation)

Chard is a leaf vegetable.

Chard may also refer to:

Chard (name)

Chard is a surname. Notable people with the name include:

See also