Amaranth leaves (callaloo) are among the most nutrient-dense greens in the world — higher iron than most other greens, significant calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and unique anti-inflammatory betacyanins. The entire amaranth plant is edible: leaves as callaloo and seeds as a complete-protein grain.
Fresh at Caribbean grocery stores. Canned Grace callaloo at most Caribbean grocery stores and online. Frozen callaloo increasingly available.
The iron content is among the highest of any leafy green — combined with the vitamin C present in the same leaf, iron absorption is maximized. This is the same self-potentiating mechanism as moringa: the leaf provides both the mineral and the absorption enhancer in the same bite. Betacyanins (the same compounds that make beets red) are potent antioxidants with specific cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory activity. The folate content addresses homocysteine elevation — the same mechanism as ackee, now in leafy green form.
Fresh callaloo: wash thoroughly, strip tough stems, cook with garlic, tomato, onion, and scotch bonnet. Canned callaloo (Grace brand) available at Caribbean stores — rinse and sauté. Amaranth leaves available at Caribbean, West African, and some Asian grocery stores. Bitterest raw, mellows significantly with cooking.
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