Good King Henry

Blitum bonus-henricus · Leafy green

40 pairings

Good King Henry is a hardy perennial leafy green (Blitum bonus-henricus, long known as Chenopodium bonus-henricus) of the amaranth family, grown for centuries as a spinach-like pot-herb. Its dark, mineral-rich leaves are cooked like spinach, while the young shoots were once blanched and eaten like asparagus.

Picking a good onedrag

Just cut, stiff and dark greenYellow, limp, slimy at the stalk

Market freshThe all-rounder: boil and drain like spinach, then into soup, a tart or a pan of butter.Everyday best

Leaf and bloomGreen throughout, the mealy bloom worn off

Leaf in the handBlade soft, stalk bends before it snaps

Cut stalk endsCut ends drying, stalks still firm

Smell at the bunchGreen and neutral, almost nothing

What to look for, from just cut, stiff and dark green to yellow, limp, slimy at the stalk.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 5× longer than the counter.

Humidity

95-98%

Near-saturated, or the blades go: a damp cloth or a lidded box in the crisper. Bare on a fridge shelf a bunch is floppy within a few hours.

Airflow

Vented, never sealed

Perforated bag or a loose wrap, never sealed tight - trapped damp starts bacterial soft rot at the cut stalk ends first.

Preparing