English or common spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a vegetable from the Amaranthaceae family. A very nutritious plant know for its edible leaves.
Spinach was the favourite vegetable of Catherine de Medici, an historical figure in the 16th century. When she left her home of Florence, Italy, to marry the king of France, she brought along her own cooks, who could prepare spinach the way she especially liked. Since this time, dishes prepared on a bed of spinach have been referred to as "a la Florentine" in her honour. The French term "a la florentine" in recipes indicates that the recipe has spinach as a major ingredient.
A little spinach trivia, it is believed that Spinach has long been linked to prosperity. Eat spinach and increase your chances of making more money!

History and Origin
It is believed that spinach was a wild edible green plant found in ancient Persia (Iran). Research indicates that in 647 AD spinach was introduced to China where it was referred to as the “Persian green.” Spinach was introduced by the Moors of North Africa to Spain in the 11th century. By the Middle Ages, spinach was grown and sold throughout the rest of Europe, and in England was known as the “Spanish vegetable.” It was not until the 1400’s that spinach became a staple in Mediterranean cooking.

Research indicates that spinach, which does not grow well in hot weather, was successfully cultivated in the hot and arid Mediterranean climate by Arab agronomists through the use of sophisticated irrigation techniques as early as the eighth century A.D.