New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) is a hardy, trailing succulent native to coastal New Zealand and southeastern Australia, botanically unrelated to true spinach (Spinacia oleracea) despite the shared name and similar use. It was collected on James Cook's first voyage in 1770 and introduced to European cultivation by botanist Joseph Banks, later spreading to temperate coastal regions worldwide, including South Africa and parts of the Mediterranean.
Its fleshy, triangular leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked, sautéed, in soups, or stir-fried, as a spinach substitute; the flavor is milder and slightly sweeter, and the leaves hold up better in heat and drought than true spinach, which is why it's often grown as a summer substitute where spinach would bolt.
It pairs well with garlic, ginger, chili, citrus, and other mild greens, and is nutritionally similar to true spinach, providing vitamins A, C, and K along with iron and calcium.