Yamashita Spinach: Most Expensive Spinach In The World That Cost Around Rs 3,000 For 1 KG

Spinach is one of nature's most nutritious foods, low in calories but high in nutrients that provide a variety of health benefits. It was also one of the dark leafy vegetables that we Indians preferred the most. Its versatility makes it easily included in salads, hot dishes, snacks, soups, side dishes, or even fruit smoothies. Spinach contains more protein than other vegetables and a high fibre content, which helps to detoxify and clean the intestinal tract.

Its combination is very famous with Makki ki roti and is popularly known as "Makki ki roti and Sarso ka saag" in India. Spinach is available in India at a cost of between Rs 40 and Rs 100, and its cultivation in the country is very common. But did you know that green vegetables are easily available at a cheap price in India, but there is a special one that is grown by a Japanese man in Paris that costs you around Rs 3,000 and is considered the world¡¯s most expensive spinach? Yes, you read that right.

Aaj Tak

According to a report by the NYTimes and Food Republic, Yamashita spinach, which is grown by Asafumi Yamashita, is the world's most expensive spinach, costing around 26 to 28 pounds, i.e. 2700-3000 rupees per kilogramme

It has been considered the most expensive green in the world. Asafumi Yamashita, who is originally from Tokyo, Japan, lives with his wife and a daughter in Chapet, which is 30 kilometres from Paris in the region of France known for cultivating the world's most expensive greens.

The story behind the world¡¯s most expensive Spinach

In 1975, at the age of 22, Asafumi came to Paris from Tokyo to study. He was also passionate about boxing and golf, but he quit these sports to cultivate greens. He saw that there is potential in the cultivation of Japanese bonsai in Paris. Although he went back to Japan, the idea of cultivating these greens kept roaming in his mind, so he decided to return to Paris again.

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In 1989, with an investment of $500, Asafumi started a bonsai business in Paris. He bought seeds for his business and started selling bonsai trees, but one night, one or two of his bonsai trees were stolen from his farm.

After the incident, he decided to give up the nursery, and one of his known chefs suggested he grow Japanese vegetables that cannot be obtained in Paris. After losing his valuable bonsai assets, he turned to his other hobby¡ªgrowing vegetables¡ªfor which he was naturally gifted. As he slowly constructed his vegetable garden and supplied Parisian restaurants with hard-to-find Japanese vegetable varieties, he only had a green thumb, a few packets of dried seeds brought from Japan, and a couple of existing plants at the time.

First, he started cultivating Japanese mustard greens, komatsuna, and Hatsuka daikon. During this time, he started the cultivation of a new variety of greens. This green was named Yamashita spinach and, with time, became the most expensive green in the world. This green is not available everywhere; only selected restaurants sell it. Along with this, its delivery is not available in other countries as well.

Currently, Asafumi Yamashita has to deal with media inquiries on a daily basis. From the New York Times to Grazia, he has been featured in countless publications. It is his vegetables that end up on the menus of the best three-star Michelin chefs in Paris, such as Pascal Barbot at L'Astrance and Pierre Gagnaire at, well, Pierre Gagnaire.

Yamashita supplied vegetables to the star chef only

Asafumi Yamashita is a humble and down-to-earth person, yet he supplied his vegetables to only star chefs, and he even chose the chef who worked hard to find the right recipe that would sublime his vegetables. Yamashita believes that in order to create a good and correct recipe, a chef must conduct research for at least two years. Due to the quality of his products, Yamashita not only chooses his clients but also decides when to deliver and at what price.

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"People ask me what is my secret, whether it is love for what I do that makes the difference. I reply that you don¡¯t need love to grow vegetables. Love is too unstable an emotion for this. To really grow great produce, the motivation needs to be higher: you have to do it for its own sake," Yamashita told cluboenologique.

According to Yamashita, "There is a chain between the one who produces, the one who cooks, and the one who eats." He explains, "When I part with my vegetables, I equate this act with the departure of one of my daughters for her wedding. I sow them, I grow them, making sure nothing disturbs their growth, I protect them from diseases, and then I pick them when they are at their maximum potential. Each plant, like each child, is different. Some are earlier than others; you have to know how to wait for the right moment before entrusting them with love to those for whom they are intended."

Benefits of Yamashita Spinach

Yamashita Spinach consumption is extremely beneficial to one's health, which is why it is so expensive. It contains vitamins and antioxidants. It can protect people from chronic diseases. Along with this, it is also considered beneficial for the brain, as well as the heart and eyes.

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