Edible amaranth
Amaranthus tricolor L.
Edible amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) is a summer leafy vegetable rich in iron, calcium and vitamins A, B2 and C; boiled, cooked in shrimp soup or stir-fried.
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Gallery
Edible amaranth — Young shootsEdible amaranth — Red cultivar
Edible amaranth — Planting bed
Edible amaranth — 'Illumination' cultivar
Edible amaranth — Leaves
Edible amaranth — Flowering shootEdible amaranth — Young shootsEdible amaranth — Red cultivarOverview
An annual herb with a stout, erect stem, grown as a seasonal vegetable in Vietnam. Leaves are ovate to lanceolate, alternate, and green, red-purple or yellow depending on the cultivar. Tiny flowers form dense spike-like clusters in the leaf axils and at the stem tips; the flowers are long-lasting, hence the genus name Amaranthus (Greek amarantos, 'unfading'). Seeds are minute and glossy black. Besides red amaranth (A. tricolor), Vietnam also grows slender amaranth (A. viridis) and the wild spiny amaranth (A. spinosus).
Edible amaranth is a popular summer vegetable, boiled, cooked in shrimp soup or stir-fried with garlic. Stems and leaves are sweet and rich in iron, calcium, vitamins A, B2 (riboflavin) and C, and nicotinic acid. Its deep, vigorous roots make it drought- and water-tolerant; the cycle is short — seedlings are ready to transplant 25–30 days after sowing and can be harvested 25–30 days later. In China, Korea and Japan it is stir-fried with garlic or prepared as namul; seed-type amaranths are also grown as a grain crop.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeedling & growth
Stout erect stem with alternate leaves; red cultivars stand out with purple foliage.
Flowering (unfading)
Small flower clusters along stems and tips; long-lasting, hence 'unfading flower'.
Seeding
Minute glossy-black seeds are saved for the next crop or used as grain.
Harvest
Tops are cut while tender and re-harvested several times a season.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Vietnam (widely grown)30%
- South Asia (native)25%
- Southeast Asia (native)25%
- Cultivated elsewhere in warm regions (East Asia, Africa, Americas)20%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- IronHigh in stems and leaves25%
- CalciumSpiny amaranth can reach 0.2% calcium20%
- Vitamins A & CPresent in foliage and seeds25%
- Vitamin B2 & nicotinic acidRiboflavin and niacin20%
- Red pigment (betacyanin)In red-purple cultivars10%
Uses
- Vietnam: boiled, cooked in shrimp soup or stir-fried with garlic — a familiar summer green
- China, Korea, Japan: stir-fried with garlic, or as namul
- Seed amaranths: grain used as food and flour
Properties
- Stem
- Erect fleshy herb; red-purple cultivars exist
- Leaf
- Ovate–lanceolate, alternate, green/red/yellow
- Flower
- Small spike clusters at axils and tips; unfading flowers
- Seed
- Minute, glossy black; seed types used as grain
Habitat & conservation
A hardy herb with deep roots that tolerates drought and waterlogging; found from lowlands up to about 1,500 m (Himalaya, Andes). In Vietnam it is sown year-round, mainly in the summer crop.
Conservation
Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List. Edible amaranth is widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions and is not threatened.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Amaranthus tricolor L. — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Amaranthus tricolor (edible amaranth) — mô tả, ẩm thực, phân bố — English Wikipedia, 2026
- 3Rau dền / Chi Dền — đặc tính, dinh dưỡng, chu kỳ trồng — Vietnamese Wikipedia, 2026
- 4Nguồn ảnh: Prenn (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Kor!An / Корзун Андрей (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Ton Rulkens (CC BY-SA 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: David J. Stang (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 8Nguồn ảnh: Wellcome Collection (CC BY 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,